combat boot
7
3.4
- noun
- /ˈkɒmbæt buːt/
:
bota de combate
- I wore semi-autos in thigh holsters, combat boots, and a perpetual scowl in Iraq and Afghanistan.
- wearing combat boots
- black combat boots
- a pair of combat boots
Examples
-
When Vikki was a senior, she was wearing combat boots and slam dancing to the Clash.
Fiction book (1994) -
Many fashion enthusiasts are now pairing combat boots with dresses for a stylish look.
-
For about the last six or seven years, I have been wearing U.S. Army issue combat boots.
Blog text (33) -
Also within sight was an old pair of combat boots.
Fiction book (1993) -
I'm wearing my combat boots.
-
Afterward, Smith noticed a hole in the heel of his right combat boot.
Blog text (31) -
He wore the same pair of black combat boots that had accompanied him through two years of war.
Fiction book (1997) -
Can you see me driving down to the fashion salon in a jeep wearing combat boots and a three-day beard?
-
Jack used to say I resembled a stray cat, a scavenger searching for food, five feet tall in combat boots.
Fiction book (2000) -
I am in some heavy-duty reinforced combat boots and mourning the official loss of the last uncluttered surfaces in the house.
Blog text (17)
Synonyms
574
1.0
A strong shoe that covers the foot and lower leg
37
1.0
Things people wear on their feet, like shoes or boots
A boot that you tie with long strings to hold it closed around the ankle
How Sturdy
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'combat' (relating to fighting or military action) modifies 'boot' (footwear), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it is a boot used in combat or by soldiers. Although the term can extend to fashion contexts, that pragmatic extension does not obscure the literal, predictable meaning derived from the constituents.
Etymology
Combat boot comes from the simple image of a strong boot used in combat, meaning 'fighting' by 'soldiers'. Because these boots were heavy and lace-up to protect the ankle, today combat boot means a tough, lace-up shoe first made for soldiers and now often worn for 'work' or 'fashion'.