A blazer is a tailored jacket, usually worn over a shirt, that looks more formal than a hoodie but less formal than a suit jacket. The original blazers were bright red jackets worn by members of a British rowing club in the 1800s, and they are thought to have gotten their name because the bright red color looked like it was blazing.

Today's blazers come in many colors, though navy blue is most common. They typically have buttons down the front, a collar, and pockets. You might wear a blazer to a school awards ceremony, a nice dinner, or when giving a presentation. Some schools require blazers as part of their dress code.

The word also appears in the compound word trailblazer, which describes someone who creates a new path or makes a new discovery. A trailblazer is someone who blazes (marks) a trail through the wilderness so others can follow, but we use it for anyone who pioneers something new. Marie Curie was a trailblazer in science. The Wright brothers were trailblazers in aviation. When you try something nobody in your school has done before, you're blazing your own trail.