undershirt

undershirt

English

Etymology

    From under- + shirt.

    Pronunciation

    • Audio (US):(file)

    Noun

    undershirt (plural undershirts)

    1. (fashion) An undergarment worn beneath a shirt, often collarless and sleeveless.
      • 2004 August, Menis Koumandareas, translated by Patricia Felisa Barbeito and Vangelis Calotychos, “Pale Face”, in Their Smell Makes Me Want to Cry (Birmingham Modern Greek Translations; 5), Birmingham, West Midlands: Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman & Modern Greek Studies, The University of Birmingham, →ISBN, page 19:
        And she’ll say, “Ooh, look at my baby’s undershirt! What sweet little sockies! What clothesies does my little one want?” ‘All perversion I see! And this lady, doesn’t she have any children?’
      • 2009, Peter Jungk, Crossing the Hudson, page 10:
        An undershirt absorbs moisture from your body and equalizes your body temperature.

    Usage notes

    As a rather generic term, undershirt is more often used in reference to male clothing, while female equivalents employ more specialized terminology.

    Synonyms

    Translations