nightgown
Americannoun
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another name for nightdress
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a man's nightshirt
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of nightgown
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at night, gown
Explanation
A nightgown is basically a comfy dress you wear for sleeping. Some people prefer pajamas, while others like nightgowns better. Nightgowns are typically worn by women and girls, although they are closely related to nightshirts, which have long been considered appropriate night wear for people of any gender. Nightgowns often have pretty details like embroidery or lace, and they're made of cotton, silk, or nylon. The word nightgown dates from about 1400.
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.
The babydoll itself debuted in the 1940s as a nightgown whose abbreviated length was the result of war-rationed fabric.
From Salon • Jun. 12, 2026
She found Keke there, asleep in her nightgown with her head resting on the kitchen table.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 10, 2024
He then asked her about her arrest, which he said she had claimed saw her being led away from her home in a nightgown.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2023
Each morning I putter in my vegetable garden, barefoot, in my nightgown.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2023
She took off her glasses, rubbing them on the coat she was wearing over her nightgown.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
