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cheongsam

American  
[chawng-sahm] / ˈtʃɔŋˈsɑm /

noun

  1. a form-fitting, knee-length dress with a mandarin collar and slit skirt, worn chiefly by Chinese women.


cheongsam British  
/ ˈtʃɒŋˈsæm /

noun

  1. a straight dress, usually of silk or cotton, with a stand-up collar and a slit in one side of the skirt, worn by Chinese women

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cheongsam

1955–60; < Chinese dial. (Guangdong) chèuhngsāam, equivalent to Chinese chángshān long dress

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.

See Examples For:

In China, the cheongsam suggested a familiarity with a cliche representation of the country rather than with contemporary Chinese design.

From Washington Post Oct. 9, 2018

Photos posted on Twitter by 18-year-old Utah resident Keziah Daum showing off her traditional cheongsam, or qipao, quickly went viral.

From Reuters May 3, 2018

A picture of another woman with black hair dressed in a red cheongsam said: “I am _______. Shanghai is my hometown.”

From Salon Jun. 18, 2017

Tucked into the pages were black-and-white photographs of workers, managers, and apprentices in dark cheongsam robes.

From The New Yorker Oct. 12, 2015

She glanced once more at my cheongsam before she left me.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

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