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gabardine ˈgæbəˌdi:n, -ˈdi:n noun
A smooth durable twill-woven cloth especially of worsted or cotton. A garment made of this, especially a raincoat.
Lexinote: Commonly worn by spies and undercover agents since the late 19th century, when fashion house Burberry contracted to produce trench coats for the British military intelligence service (latterly MI6).
As a cover story, it was ostensibly marketed as fashionable fishing apparel for wealthy industrialists on furlough. This long-kept secret was inadvertently revealed by the singing duo Simon and Garfunkel in the lyrics of their 1965 song, The Sound of Silence.
Etym: Variant of gaberdine.