means A sleeveless garment worn over a shirt, either under a suit jacket or on its own, hugging the torso while leaving the arms bare.

from From French 'veste,' a robe or jacket, borrowed from Italian 'veste,' meaning garment or clothing — all tracing back to Latin 'vestis,' clothing, and the verb 'vestire,' to clothe. The same root dresses 'vestment,' 'invest' (originally to clothe someone in the robes of office), and 'divest' (to strip them off). The word entered English in the 17th century when the garment itself was a flowing court fashion; only later did it shrink into the trim sleeveless thing we know.