tuxedo

Word family

• tux
  nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Tuxedo, dinner jacket, black tie, tails, and formal wear all refer to men's evening attire but differ in specificity and regional use. Tuxedo is the standard American term for a dark jacket-and-trouser combination worn with a bow tie at formal evening events. In British English, the same garment is called a dinner jacket or DJ. Black tie describes the dress code requiring a tuxedo or dinner jacket, rather than the suit itself — an invitation that says 'black tie' means you must wear one. Tails (also called a tailcoat) is a more formal jacket with long back panels that reach the knees, reserved for very formal occasions such as state dinners. Formal wear is the broadest term, covering both men's and women's evening attire. For everyday use: if you are attending a wedding or award ceremony and renting a suit with a bow tie, you are renting a tuxedo.

Common collocations

Etymology

The word tuxedo comes from the name of a country club in Tuxedo Park, New York, where this style of jacket was first worn in the late 1800s. Wealthy members of the club returned from England with the new fashion, and it became known locally as 'the Tuxedo' after the club itself. The place name Tuxedo is believed to come from the Lenape Native American word p'tuck-sepo, meaning 'round-footed river' or from the Munsee Delaware word for 'wolf'.