moccasins

IPA/mˈɒkəsɪnz/
KK[mˈɑkəsɪnz]IPA/mˈɑːkəsɪnz/

moccasins — noun

1. soft leather shoes that you slip on without laces, often with decorative stitchi

1.nounC1
Definition

soft leather shoes that you slip on without laces, often with decorative stitching across the front

Example

Tamar slipped off her boots and put on soft moccasins in the cabin.

put on + moccasins in a comfort context

At the market, Rafael chose brown moccasins with hand stitching around the front.

describes the stitched front typical of moccasins

Common collocations
  • a pair of moccasins
  • soft leather moccasins
  • wear moccasins
  • slip on moccasins
Synonyms
  • loafer

    another slip-on shoe, but usually firmer and more formal in appearance

  • slipper

    softer indoor footwear, usually worn at home rather than outside

  • boat shoe

    casual outdoor slip-on style, usually with laces and a rubber sole

Antonyms
  • boot

    covers more of the foot and ankle and is usually more structured

Grammar Patterns

a pair of + moccasins

wear + moccasins

slip on + moccasins

Usage Note

Often used for the pair someone is wearing or packing, especially in casual clothing contexts. Use 'a moccasin' for one shoe, but 'moccasins' or 'a pair of moccasins' is more natural when talking about the footwear as a set.

Common Mistakes

I bought a new moccasins for the trip.
I bought a new pair of moccasins for the trip.
because the noun is plural here, use 'a pair of' when counting one set.
This moccasins is too loose.
These moccasins are too loose.
the plural form takes a plural determiner and verb.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Moccasins', 'loafers', 'slippers', and 'boat shoes' can all describe easy slip-on footwear, but they are not the same. Moccasins are usually soft leather shoes with visible stitching across the front and a flexible feel. Loafers are also slip-ons, but they are firmer and often look smarter, so they suit office or dress-casual clothes better. Slippers are mainly indoor shoes for comfort at home, not everyday street wear. Boat shoes are casual outdoor shoes with rubber soles and usually laces, designed for grip near water. So you might relax at home in slippers, wear loafers to work, pull on boat shoes for a trip by the sea, and choose moccasins when you want a softer, traditional slip-on style.

moccasins ↗loafers ↗slippers ↗boat shoes

Common collocations

Nouns

  • leather moccasins
  • driving moccasins
  • beaded moccasins

Phrases

  • a pair of moccasins
  • slip on moccasins
  • walk around in moccasins

Prepositions

  • in moccasins

Etymology

Virginia AlgonquianEarly American EnglishModern English

The word entered English in the early 1600s from a Virginia Algonquian language. It first referred to the soft leather footwear worn by Indigenous peoples of North America. Later, English kept the name for similar slip-on shoes sold in modern fashion, even when they were not made in the traditional way.