oxford

¹ American  

[oks-ferd] / ˈɒks fərd /

noun

1. Also called Oxford tie.  Also called Oxford shoe.  a low shoe laced over the instep.

2. Also called oxford cloth.  a cotton or synthetic fabric, in plain, twill, or basket weave, constructed on a pattern of two fine yarns woven as one warpwise and one loosely twisted yarn weftwise, for shirts, skirts, and summer sportswear.

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Oxford ² American  

[oks-ferd] / ˈɒks fərd /

noun

1. 1st Earl of. Harley, Robert.

2. a city in S Oxfordshire, in S England, NW of London: university, founded in 12th century.

3. Oxfordshire.

4. a town in SW Ohio.

5. a town in S Massachusetts.

6. a town in N Mississippi, hometown of William Faulkner.

7. Also called Oxford Down.  one of an English breed of large, hornless sheep, noted for its market lambs and heavy fleece of medium length.

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Oxford ¹ British  

/ ˈɒksfəd /

noun

1. a city in S England, administrative centre of Oxfordshire, at the confluence of the Rivers Thames and Cherwell: Royalist headquarters during the Civil War; seat of Oxford University, consisting of 40 separate colleges, the oldest being University College (1249), and Oxford Brookes University (1993); motor-vehicle industry. Pop: 143 016 (2001)

2. Also called: Oxford Down.  a breed of sheep with middle-length wool and a dark brown face and legs

3. a type of stout laced shoe with a low heel

4. a lightweight fabric of plain or twill weave used esp for men's shirts

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Oxford ² British  

/ ˈɒksfəd /

noun

1. 1st Earl of. title of (Robert) Harley

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Etymology

Origin of oxford

1580–90; named after Oxford, the city in S Oxfordshire, England.

Example Sentences

Products arriving earlier than normal are so-called core items, such as oxford shirts, polo tops and sweaters, rather than seasonal items, CFO Picicci said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 7, 2025

The writer, producer and host Avery Trufelman has a grand theory about why the same basic clothing items — oxford button-downs, chunky sweaters, pressed chinos — have remained wardrobe staples for the last half-century.

From New York Times • Dec. 8, 2022

Genevieve White Carter and Cy Carter, married interior designers who live in St. James, New York, designed a home Venice, California, where they color-matched a Murphy bed’s unit to a pink oxford shirt.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 30, 2022

Wearing a snap-brim straw hat, dark glasses, and an unconstructed jacket; a beige, un-pressed dress shirt; jeans; and nondescript oxford shoes, Dean was obviously not into fashion.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 10, 2021

He wore crisp khaki pants, a light blue oxford shirt, and a navy-blue tie and blazer.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Related Words

• footwear