Wiktionary
n. A double-breasted jacket, part of mess kit.
WordNet
n. waist-length jacket tapering to a point at the back; worn by officers in the mess for formal dinners [syn: monkey jacket, shell jacket]
Wikipedia
The mess jacket is a type of formal jacket that ends at the waist. It features either a non-fastening double breast cut or a single-breasted version that fastens. The jackets have shawl or peak lapels. Used in military mess dress, during the 1930s it became a popular alternative to the white dinner jacket in hot and tropical weather for black tie occasions. It also was prominently used, in single-breasted form, as part of the uniform for underclassmen at Eton College, leading to the alternate name Eton jacket. A female version of it, called a spencer, was popular during the Regency period.
Usage examples of "mess jacket".
A waiter in a neat mess jacket slipped out of nowhere and stood in front of me.
He stood proudly in dark mess jacket and pants with gold piping and buttons, and satin lapels.
Then I knew that toughie in the mess jacket would never let me on.
I hung the white mess jacket in the closet and slipped into my corduroy jacket.
He tried the large gold doorknob, then took a slender instrument from an inner pocket of his silver-epauletted tangerine mess jacket and delicately probed the lock.
Garcia was just as formal in modern mode: scarlet tights boldly padded, stretch-fit white mess jacket with jabot of pearls and black lace.