pyjamas

[puh-jah-muhz, -jam-uhz]

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. a variant of pajamas.

pyjamas

/ pəˈdʒɑːməz /

plural noun

1. loose-fitting nightclothes comprising a jacket or top and trousers

2. full loose-fitting ankle-length trousers worn by either sex in various Eastern countries

3. women's flared trousers or trouser suit used esp for leisure wear

Word History and Origins

Origin of pyjamas¹

C19: from Hindi, from Persian pāi leg + jāmah clothing, garment

Example Sentences

Children in their pyjamas and their parents lined up outside a small community pub in West Yorkshire last night after hearing that Chris Martin was performing an impromptu gig.

From BBC

None of the residents were hurt but some were left unable to go home in just their pyjamas with nowhere to stay.

From BBC

One habit that must help is that she writes in her pyjamas in bed, once she's fed the cat and let the dogs out first thing in the morning.

From BBC

But when he went upstairs, he found the boys' bodies together in the lower bunk of their shared bunk bed dressed in pyjamas, having died several hours earlier.

From BBC

"That's me now. Last time I went in - I know it gets hot so I don't take my pyjamas, I ask for hospital pyjamas," she said.

From BBC

When To Use

What does pyjamas mean?

Pyjamas is an alternate spelling of pajamas—the clothes you wear to sleep in.The spelling pyjamas is typically used by speakers of British English. The word is commonly and informally abbreviated as p.j.’s.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. However, there are many different types and styles, such as nightgowns.Clothes considered pajamas aren’t only worn for sleeping, though. For example, a person might drive to get a cup of coffee in the morning while still wearing their pajamas, or a college student might wake up and attend class in their pajamas. People also commonly use the terms p.j.’s and pajamas to refer to the clothes they wear to lounge in (also called loungewear), especially before bed (even if they then change into another set of pajamas to sleep in).Even more informal terms for pajamas are jammies, jams, and jam-jams. These are typically used by children, adults speaking to children, or people using childish words to be silly. The word sleepwear is sometimes used as a more formal synonym for pajamas, especially in the name of a department in a clothing store or a section of a clothing website. More formal terms, like nightclothes and nightwear, are rarely used.The word pyjama and pajama, without an s, are used as modifiers in terms involving pyjamas, such as pyjama pants.Example: When I get home tonight, I’m changing into my most comfortable pyjamas, snuggling under the covers, and watching the telly.