blouse

[blous, blouz]

noun

1. a usually lightweight, loose-fitting garment for women and children, covering the body from the neck or shoulders more or less to the waistline, with or without a collar and sleeves, worn inside or outside a skirt, slacks, etc.

2. a single-breasted, semifitted military jacket.

3. a loose outer garment, reaching to the hip or thigh, or below the knee, and sometimes belted.

verb (used without object)

bloused, blousing 

1. to puff out in a drooping fullness, as a blouse above a fitted waistband.

verb (used with object)

bloused, blousing 

1. to dispose the material of a garment in loose folds, as trouser legs over the tops of boots.

blouse

/ blaʊz /

noun

1. a woman's shirtlike garment made of cotton, nylon, etc

2. a loose-fitting smocklike garment, often knee length and belted, worn esp by E European peasants

3. a loose-fitting waist-length belted jacket worn by soldiers

verb

1. to hang or make so as to hang in full loose folds

Other Word Forms

• blouselike adjective
• blousy adjective
• unbloused adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of blouse¹

1820–30; < French, perhaps from the phrase *vêtement de laine blouse garment of short (i.e., uncarded, pure) wool; compare Provençal ( lano ) blouso pure (wool) < Old High German blōz naked, cognate with Old English bleat poor, miserable

Word History and Origins

Origin of blouse¹

C19: from French, of unknown origin

Example Sentences

Operating these new technologies were an army of young women clad in tailor-mades, or coordinating jackets and skirts, and easy-to-launder cotton shirtwaists, or blouses—all early triumphs of New York’s nascent ready-to-wear industry.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Between her sparkling teeth, her blindingly white blouses, and her overall way-too-bright energy, Autumn’s mother is basically sunlight personified.

Read more on Literature

“You’re a mathematician?” she asked, giving my blouse, my skirt, and my black pumps the once-over.

Read more on Literature

"We had to wear these awful BBC Two blouses," Ms Brown said.

Read more on BBC

Blue Tab, launched in Asia earlier this year before an April release in the U.S., brings Japanese-inspired denim jackets and pants, as well as T-shirts and blouses, under Levi’s own brand.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bodice 
• pullover 
• turtleneck