Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A light olive brown to moderate or light yellowish brown.
  • noun A sturdy cloth of this color.
  • noun A uniform made of this cloth.
  • noun Pants made of a twilled cotton fabric of this color or another solid color.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Dustcolored or claycolored: adopted from Hindu use.
  • noun A kind of light drab or chocolate-colored cloth used for the uniforms of some East Indian regiments.
  • Made of the cloth known as khaki (without direct reference to color).
  • noun A soldier clad in khaki.
  • noun The cause and the policy represented by the khaki-clad military forces operating in South Africa in 1899–1902, and support of the British government in its war policy at that time: as, to vote khaki, that is, to support the government and its measures in carrying on the Boer war.
  • noun The bonds issued by the British government in raising money to continue the Boer war.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Any kind of khaki cloth; hence, a uniform of khaki or, rarely, a soldier clad in khaki. In the United States and British armies khaki or cloth of a very similar color is almost exclusively used for service in the field.
  • adjective Of a dull brownish yellow, or drab color; -- applied to cloth, originally to a stout brownish cotton cloth, used in making uniforms in the Anglo-Indian army.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A dull, yellowish-brown colour, the colour of dust.
  • noun Khaki green, a dull green colour.
  • noun A strong cloth of wool or cotton, often used for military or other uniforms.
  • noun South Africa, slang A British person (from the colour of the uniform of British troops).
  • adjective Dust-coloured; of the colour of dust.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective of a yellowish brown color
  • noun a sturdy twilled cloth of a yellowish brown color used especially for military uniforms

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Urdu khākī, dusty, from Persian, from khāk, dust, from Middle Persian.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Hindi ख़ाकी / خاکی (xākī), from Persian خاکی (xâki, "dusty, earthy, earth-colored")

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Examples

  • More accurately, the correct shade of "khaki" is the color of "Multani Mitti", meaning "the mud of Multan".

    I get email... Reader Tim challenges me with "Khaki" - dfi 2009

  • Linen no mater what color even "khaki" is limited to late spring - Easter through the summer and should probably not be seen after mid September.

    I get email... Reader Tim challenges me with "Khaki" - dfi 2009

  • The word "khaki," derived from the Hindi word for dust, traditionally refers to a specific color -- a shade of tan or beige -- and the term was used as far back as the 1840s to refer to the cotton twill uniforms worn by British colonial forces in India.

    Memphis Commercial Appeal Stories 2010

  • The assailants, dressed in khaki pants and armed with AK-47 assault rifles, grenades and suicide vests, parked a gray Dodge sport-utility vehicle near the rear of the church.

    Survivors describe deadly attack on Baghdad church Ernesto Londono 2010

  • The assailants, dressed in khaki pants and armed with AK-47 assault rifles, grenades and suicide vests, parked a gray Dodge sport-utility vehicle near the rear of the church.

    Survivors describe deadly attack on Baghdad church Ernesto Londono 2010

  • At first I didn't like it but when you see all the kids waiting for the bus in khaki's and polo shirts it's pretty impressive.

    Putting the Wolf on Trial 2008

  • He was being passed by a youngish woman in khaki slacks and white running shoes and a yellow baseball hat tipped rakishly forward on her head, as if her hair were too bulky, too springy, to fit into it.

    The Apparition 2007

  • He was being passed by a youngish woman in khaki slacks and white running shoes and a yellow baseball hat tipped rakishly forward on her head, as if her hair were too bulky, too springy, to fit into it.

    The Apparition 2007

  • Ciara and Rihanna both picked out the Isadora Deluxe bag in khaki and Rihanna said she not only loved the color, but that the bag was really beautiful as well.

    Distinctive Assets Rocks the GRAMMY?s with the Official Talent Lounge and Gift Bag 2007

  • He was being passed by a youngish woman in khaki slacks and white running shoes and a yellow baseball hat tipped rakishly forward on her head, as if her hair were too bulky, too springy, to fit into it.

    The Apparition 2007

Comments

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  • from khaki (="made from soil", "dusty" or "of the colour of soil"), from khak (= "soil")

    August 30, 2009

  • What you use to start the car in Boston? (thanks to NPR's Says You)

    February 23, 2013

  • In Pittsburgh spelt h-o-t-w-i-r-e.

    February 23, 2013