different between abacost vs abacot

English

Etymology

From French. A contraction of à bas le costume (“down with the western suit”)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?æ.b?.k?st/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?æ.b?.k?st/

Noun

abacost (plural abacosts)

1. (chiefly historical) A short- or long-sleeved button-up jacket, worn without a shirt, that was promoted in Zaïre under the regime of Mobutu Sese Seko. [First attested in the late 20^th century]
   • 2005, Jeanne M. Haskin, The tragic state of the Congo: from decolonization to dictatorship, Algora, page 44:

     Wearing a collarless jacket called the abacost that reflected the style of chairman Mao, Mobutu outlawed the traditional suits and business dress of the West.

   • 2006, Martin Meredith, Africa: from the hopes of freedom to the heart of despair, PublicAffairs, page 296:

     The abacost became Mobutu's personal trademark, […]

   • 2007, Gemma Pitcher et al., Africa 11th ed., Lonely Planet, page 562:

     [T]he new leader [Mobutu Sese Seko] embarked on a campaign of 'Africanisation', with […] suits giving way to the abacost (a Congolese version of the Mao jacket); […]

   • 2007, Michael Powell, 101 People You Won't Meet in Heaven, Globe Pequot, page 206:

     [A]ll western clothing was banned—to be replaced by one-piece tunic called an abacost.

References

Anagrams

• Tabasco, tabasco

French

Etymology

Contraction of the political slogan à bas le costume! (“down with the suit!”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.ba.k?st/

Noun

abacost m (plural abacosts)

1. (Africa, chiefly historical) abacost

English

Etymology

From a series of mistranscriptions and misprints, from "a bycoket" to "a bicoket" to "abocoket" to "abocoke" to, at last, "abacot".

Noun

abacot

1. (obsolete) Misspelling of bycoket.
   • 1822, Lee Gibbons (William Bennett), Malpas; Or Le Poursuivant D'Amour. A Romance, Etc, page 71:

     On his head du Chatelet wore an abacot, or cap of state, looped at one side with a jewelled button.

   • 1893, Henry Benjamin Wheatley, Literary Blunders: A Chapter in the "History of Human Error.", page 3:

     It was found to be a mistake for by-cocket, which is the correct word. In spite of this exposure of the impostor, the word was allowed to stand, with a woodcut of an abacot, in an important dictionary published subsequently, although Dr. Murray's remarks were quoted. This shows how difficult it is to kill a word ...