pajama

American  

[puh-jah-muh, -jam-uh] / pəˈdʒɑ mə, -ˈdʒæm ə /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling pajamas.

   a pajama top; a lounging outfit with pajama pants.

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Usage

What does pajama mean? The word pajama, without an s, is used as a modifier in terms involving pajamas—the clothes you wear to sleep in. It’s used in terms like pajama pants, pajama top, and pajama party. It is typically spelled as pyjama by speakers of British English (who use the spelling pyjamas for the noun). You could say that whatever clothes you change into before going to bed are your pajamas. Traditionally, though, pajamas are specifically made and sold as clothes for sleeping in, typically consisting of soft, loose-fitting pants or shorts and a (sometimes matching) top. There are many different types and styles, such as nightgowns. Clothes considered pajamas aren’t only worn for sleeping—many people wear them as loungewear. The word pajamas is commonly and informally abbreviated as p.j.’s, and the term p.j. can be used as an informal replacement of pajama, as in p.j. pants. The word jammies is an even more informal word for pajamas, and the word jammie can replace pajama in the same way, as in jammie pants. Example: I have a lot of pajama bottoms that I wear around the house, but I never sleep in them.

Etymology

Origin of pajama

see origin at pajamas

Explanation

Pajamas are clothes made for sleeping in. When you're not feeling well, there's nothing better than putting on your pajamas, climbing into bed, and having someone bring you a cup of tea. Pajamas is always plural — it's got that in common with words like pants, shorts, and trousers. Like these other plural clothing words, pajamas have two legs — they're like a loose, soft, and very comfortable pair of pants. This word started out in 1800 as two: pai jamahs, "loose trousers tied at the waist," worn by Europeans in imitation of traditional Indian Muslim clothing. The Persian root, paejamah, combines pae, "leg," and jamah, "clothing."

Example Sentences

The versatile and enduring performer Janis Paige, known for her starring role in the Tony-winning 1954 musical “The Pajama Game” and her scene-stealing performance in the 1957 movie musical “Silk Stockings,” has died.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2024

LuPone’s first professional job was in 1966, in the ensemble of the Westbury Music Fair’s production of “The Pajama Game” starring Liza Minnelli.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 27, 2022

Ms. Howes had by then moved from London to New York to live with her second husband, lyricist and composer Richard Adler of “The Pajama Game” and “Damn Yankees.”

From Washington Post • Dec. 23, 2021

Pajama Party: Ms. Peak has a more casual approach to style in real life.

From New York Times • Jul. 3, 2021

“Lord yes. We went to the Latin Quarter, the Copacabana, and The Pajama Game. That was the first stage show we’d ever seen and we were right disappointed in it. Are they all like that?”

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee