nightgown
Americannoun
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another name for nightdress
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a man's nightshirt
Etymology
Origin of nightgown
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at night, gown
Explanation
A nightgown is basically a comfy dress you wear for sleeping. Some people prefer pajamas, while others like nightgowns better. Nightgowns are typically worn by women and girls, although they are closely related to nightshirts, which have long been considered appropriate night wear for people of any gender. Nightgowns often have pretty details like embroidery or lace, and they're made of cotton, silk, or nylon. The word nightgown dates from about 1400.
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.
She found Keke there, asleep in her nightgown with her head resting on the kitchen table.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 10, 2024
Dressed in a pink nightgown, Ms. Wilkerson was dancing in front of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan for a TikTok video.
From New York Times • Dec. 13, 2023
He then asked her about her arrest, which he said she had claimed saw her being led away from her home in a nightgown.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2023
Years later, she still can’t believe a detective would secretly record her while she was in her nightgown, confused and worried for her son.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2023
I jumped up and pulled on my work overalls over my nightgown.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
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.
