A coat is a piece of clothing worn over other clothes, usually to stay warm outdoors. Coats have sleeves and typically extend at least to your waist, though many reach your knees or even ankles. A winter coat might be thick and puffy, filled with down feathers or synthetic insulation. A rain coat keeps you dry in wet weather. A light spring coat, sometimes called a jacket, protects against cool breezes without being too warm.

The word can also mean a layer of something covering a surface. When you coat a pan with butter before cooking, you spread a thin layer across it. A dog's coat is its fur. Fresh snow creates a white coat over the ground. Painters apply multiple coats of paint to a wall, letting each layer dry before adding the next.

When you hear someone say “a coat of paint” or “a candy coating,” they're talking about this covering meaning. But when someone says “grab your coat,” they definitely mean the clothing you’ll need before heading outside.