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Synonyms

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

"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 nightshirt

First recorded in 1840–50; night + shirt

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:

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 ● Mar. 12, 2026

She took off her nightshirt and put on the clothes along with some boots that were too big for her feet.

From Slate ● Nov. 15, 2025

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 ● Sep. 18, 2023

Can you have your child sleep with your nightshirt or pajamas?

From Washington Post ● Mar. 10, 2015

And I turned away, shivering, surprised to realize that I was in my nightshirt still, drenched myself, my own hair full of sand and salt.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

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