wellington1
/ˈwɛlɪŋtən
/(also wellington boot)
noun British
A knee-length waterproof rubber or plastic boot.Each volunteer was kitted out in oil spill clean up attire - waterproof jacket and trousers, white over suit, wellingtons, rubber gloves, protective goggles and face mask....
- In wet weather stout boots or wellingtons are essential.
- The water becomes so deep at the bottom of Castlegate it is out of bounds to pedestrians without waders or wellingtons.
Origin
Early 19th century: named after the 1st Duke of Wellington (see Wellington, 1st Duke of).
The wellington boot is named after Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, whose army defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. The first wellington boots were long leather ones, as worn by the great general—rubber wellies [1960s] do not seem to have caught on until the beginning of the 20th century.
Rhymes
Wellington2
/ˈwɛlɪŋtən/The capital of New Zealand, situated at the southern tip of the North Island; population 179,463 (2006). It became the capital in 1865, when the seat of government was moved from Auckland.