shirt
Americannoun
-
a long- or short-sleeved garment for the upper part of the body, usually lightweight and having a collar and a front opening.
-
an undergarment of cotton, or other material, for the upper part of the body.
-
a shirtwaist.
-
a nightshirt.
idioms
-
in one's shirt sleeves, without a coat: Also in one's shirt-sleeves.
It was so hot that they worked in their shirt sleeves.
-
lose one's shirt, to lose all that one possesses; suffer a severe financial reverse.
He lost his shirt in the stock market.
-
keep one's shirt on, to refrain from becoming angry or impatient; remain calm.
Tell him to keep his shirt on until we're ready.
noun
-
a garment worn on the upper part of the body, esp by men, usually of light material and typically having a collar and sleeves and buttoning up the front
-
short for nightshirt undershirt
-
informal refrain from losing your temper (often used as an exhortation to another)
-
informal to bet all one has on (a horse, etc)
-
informal to lose all one has on (a horse, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of shirt
before 1150; Middle English schirte, Old English scyrte; cognate with German Schürze, Dutch schort apron, Old Norse skyrta skirt
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"There's definitely a pressure to have a good shirt and choose the right design, but it's a good memory as it's your last day of secondary school," Aarushi said.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
The red marker letters on the tape on one bag say "50 Adidas," referring to the brand that produces Mexico's official shirt.
From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026
In downtown Mexico City, street vendors hawk pirated goods on the sidewalks, with team shirts for Mexico, Argentina and Colombia selling for $10-$20, roughly one-tenth the price of an official shirt for Mexico's national team.
From Barron's • Jun. 6, 2026
The future Goldman Sachs CEO’s shirt collars were popping out—a no-no in his buttoned-up white-shoe law office.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026
His white button-up shirt was plastered to his broad shoulders and his boots made a loud squelching noise as he walked.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
