a short, closefitting jacket, often sleeveless, or a vest, of a kind worn in the 16th and 17th cent.
Origin:
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See jerkin in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
A close-fitting, hip-length, collarless jacket having no sleeves but often extended shoulders, belted and worn over a doublet by men especially in the 16th century.
A short, close-fitting, often sleeveless coat or jacket, usually of leather.