nightshirt

American  

[nahyt-shurt] / ˈnaɪtˌʃɜrt /

noun

1. a loose shirtlike garment reaching to the knees or lower, for wearing in bed.

---

nightshirt British  

/ ˈnaɪtˌʃɜːt /

noun

1. a loose knee-length or longer shirtlike garment worn in bed by men

---

Etymology

Origin of nightshirt

First recorded in 1840–50; night + shirt

Example Sentences

Lloyd was already in bed, in one of Dad’s old Sunday shirts he wore for a nightshirt in this weather.

From Literature

Gomina, still in his nightshirt, wanted to go to his office to change into uniform, and Tigri obligingly offered an escort.

From The Wall Street Journal

A figure was moving across the yard, the white of its nightshirt catching the moonlight.

From Literature

Then here came the tailors for Mr. Cranston’s frock coat and morning coat and striped trousers and silk nightshirts with his initials sewed on.

From Literature

An analyst for Public Health – Seattle & King County, wearing a nightshirt, she went into “emergency management mode,” she said, checking his vital signs and trying to clear his airways.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• lingerie
• pajamas