Origin: Germanic Old English prefix
Outerwear has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
clothing for use outdoors
"She packed her heavy coat as essential outerwear before stepping out into the freezing rain."
clothing (such as a dress) worn over one's underwear
"She wore her floral dress as outerwear to cover her simple white undershirt while visiting the beach house."
In plain English: Outerwear is any clothing you wear on top of your regular clothes to stay warm when it's cold outside.
"She packed her coat and scarf in her bag before heading out for the cold weather."
Usage: Outerwear refers to garments like coats and jackets designed to be worn over other clothes, not under them. Use this term specifically when describing protective layers meant for outdoor conditions rather than items intended to cover underwear directly.
The word is a straightforward combination of outer and -wear, formed to describe clothing designed to be worn on the outside of other garments. It entered English as a practical compound term without shifting its original meaning from the start.