cork jacket
- noun
- Archaic
:
chaleco de corcho
- In the 19th century, sailors often relied on a cork jacket for safety at sea.
Examples
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He survived the shipwreck thanks to his trusty cork jacket.
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The museum displayed an old cork jacket alongside other maritime artifacts.
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He wore a cork jacket while sailing.
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The cork jackets were popular in the 1960s.
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In the 19th century, sailors often relied on a cork jacket for safety at sea.
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He survived the shipwreck thanks to his trusty cork jacket.
-
The museum displayed an old cork jacket alongside other maritime artifacts.
Synonyms
16
1.4
A jacket that helps a person float in water
8
1.7
A jacket you wear to help you float in water
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'cork' names the material and 'jacket' the garment, so the phrase denotes a jacket made of cork (used as a life preserver). This material+clothing compound is a straightforward, cross-linguistically common pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the meaning even if the item is rare or historical.
Etymology
The noun cork jacket comes from jackets stuffed with pieces of cork that people wore at sea to float if a ship sank. The image of a vest full of cork makes it clear why the term meant a simple 'life preserver'.