Overall / Overalls / Coveralls

I was doing a test (this one: english-test.net/toeic/vocab … c-test.php ) and didn’t understand one thing when I looked for the answer.

“OVERALL” is defined in the answer as a ''work clothing consisting of denim trousers (usually with a bib and shoulder straps)",

but the Cambridge Dictionary’s definition is:

in general rather than in particular, or including all the people or things in a particular group or situation
The overall situation is good, despite a few minor problems.
Overall, it has been a good year.
The overall winner, after ten games, will receive $250 000.

I guess the exercise referred to OVERALLS, that is defined like this

UK (US coveralls) a piece of clothing that covers both the upper and lower parts of the body and is worn especially over other clothes to protect them
She put on some overalls and got out a tin of paint.
(US for dungarees)

Is that answer right ?

In the US, “coveralls” is nearly synonymous with “jumpsuit”. If you look for men’s “jumpsuits” on Google and look at the images, what you will see is what Americans call “coveralls”.

What Americans call “overalls” cover the front almost all the way up, but the shirt sleeves and the back of the shirt are exposed. Search Google for “bib overalls”, and you should get some good pictures of them.

Hi Rudny,

You might also like to read these threads on the subject of the various definitions:
english-test.net/forum/sutra355759.html
english-test.net/forum/sutra301626.html

No more Dream of the Endless? Is there a meaning to the latest picture?

Yeah, Jamie, I see that.
The question is the S at the end of OVERALL(S)

The definition given in the test was that which is the meaning of OVERALLS, but the word to be defined was OVERALL (no s, no plural)
And that’s what I’m trying to say, or are OVERALL and OVERALL[color=darkred]S the same thing?

Because here:
The overall situation is good, despite a few minor problems.

overALL has a meaning which is a lot different from OVERALLS’ meaning.

Beeesneees, I read those threads and they are about OVERALL[color=blue]S… I guess there is a typo in that test. I saw OVERALLS is a plural noun and refers to that work clothing, but if you drop that S at its end, there’s a big difference in meaning.

The image I’m using now is the logo of a program called Reason. That profile picture of Morpheus was quite scary indeed so I changed it. I like this one because it’s also an optical illusion.

Hi Rudny.

These are overalls:

This is an overall (noun, not to be confused with the adjective of the same name which, as you point out, has an entirely different meaning!)

Oh… Now I Got it

:smiley:

Thanks Again Beeesneees ! :smiley: