sweater

American  

[swet-er] / ˈswɛt ər /

noun

1. a knitted jacket or jersey, in pullover or cardigan style, with or without sleeves.

2. a person or thing that sweats.

3. an employer who underpays and overworks employees.

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adjective

1. of, for, or pertaining to a sweater.

   sweater yarn; sweater fashions.

2. made like a sweater.

   a sweater dress.

sweater British  

/ ˈswɛtə /

noun

1. 1. a garment made of knitted or crocheted material covering the upper part of the body, esp a heavy one worn for warmth

   2. ( as modifier )

      a sweater dress

2. a person or thing that sweats

3. an employer who overworks and underpays his employees

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Etymology

Origin of sweater

1520–30 sweater for def. 2; 1880–85 sweater for def. 1; sweat + -er ¹

Explanation

A sweater is a knitted piece of clothing that covers the top part of your body. Some people have ugly Christmas sweater contests—and if you wear your neon green reindeer sweater covered with pom-poms, you just might win! In Britain it's a jumper, but in most of North America, it's a sweater. You put on a sweater either by pulling it over your head (if it's a pullover), or by putting your arms in the sleeves and shrugging it onto your shoulders (if it's a cardigan). As you might have guessed, sweater comes from sweat—the earliest sweaters were worn by rowers, and were intended "to produce sweating and reduce weight."

Example Sentences

But it wasn't until his haunting cover of The Neighbourhood's Sweater Weather went viral in 2022 that he felt confident enough to pack in his day job.

From BBC • Jan. 6, 2025

The metaphor seems apt for Mills’s entire career, which has inspired generations of electronic musicians, like Mali Mase, a 25-year-old D.J. and producer who releases music as Sweater on Polo.

From New York Times • May 15, 2024

Soon, though, “Undone — The Sweater Song” began to take off, first on college radio, then on trendsetting modern-rock stations like L.A.’s KROQ-FM and Seattle’s 107.7 The End.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2024

There's an ugly sweater with an insulated pocket for Cheddar Bay Biscuits, a Cheddar Bay Sleigh Ugly Sweater, a Claw Hoodie, Critter Beanie, and a Red Lobster vintage-style snapback cap.

From Salon • Jul. 8, 2023

No way would I go in there alone, even if I wasn’t wearing The Sweater.

From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee