What does pourpoint mean?
A pourpoint was a close-fitting or padded jacket worn by men, particularly in the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Unlike the loose outer garments that could be removed indoors, such a jacket was often an important formal element of a gentleman’s clothing and could be made from costly fabrics or decorated with elaborate embroidery. Historical garments bearing this name varied considerably in cut and construction, so the word does not refer to one fixed style. In modern English, pourpoint survives mainly in historical writing, museum descriptions, costume studies, and literary texts that evoke the clothing of an earlier period. The related word doublet is broader and can describe fitted upper garments from several periods, whereas pourpoint is more specifically historical and most closely associated with padded jackets worn beneath cloaks.
nounA padded doublet or close-fitting jacket worn by men, especially during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. The term is now chiefly historical or literary.
- A close-fitting, often padded doublet or jacket worn by men in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, sometimes richly decorated and worn beneath a cloak or other outer garment.
"The portrait depicts a courtier wearing a richly embroidered pourpoint beneath his cloak."
"He fastened his pourpoint with a belt of finely worked leather."
"The museum has restored a sixteenth-century pourpoint made from silk and velvet."
The plural is used when referring to multiple historical garments.
"Several surviving pourpoints illustrate the variety of fitted jackets worn in the sixteenth century."
A pourpoint was a gentleman’s padded jacket, and its name preserves an old idea of a garment pierced or ornamented with small points.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of pourpoint
The word entered Middle English through Anglo-Norman and Old French forms of pourpoint, denoting a padded doublet. Its French name is generally explained as deriving from pour, meaning to pierce, and point, referring to decorative stitching or points, although the precise development of the compound is not entirely straightforward.
How pourpoint is actually used
Pourpoint is uncommon in modern English and generally appears in historical, literary, or costume-history contexts. It should not be used as a general synonym for any contemporary jacket.