pinafore

American  

[pin-uh-fawr, -fohr] / ˈpɪn əˌfɔr, -ˌfoʊr /

noun

1. a child's apron, usually large enough to cover the dress and sometimes trimmed with flounces.

2. a woman's sleeveless garment derived from it, low-necked, tying or buttoning in the back, and worn as an apron or as a dress, usually over a blouse, a sweater, or another dress.

3. Chiefly British.

   1. a large apron worn by adults.

   2. a sleeveless smock.

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pinafore British  

/ ˈpɪnəˌfɔː /

noun

1. an apron, esp one with a bib

2. short for pinafore dress

3. an overdress buttoning at the back

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Etymology

Origin of pinafore

First recorded in 1775–85; pin + afore

Explanation

A little girl in a British novel might wear a pinafore — a white, apron-like garment worn over a dress — but you probably won't see pinafores on the runways. The word pinafore, designating a sleeveless child's dress worn over other clothing, has moved on from its original meaning, which can still be seen lurking in the word itself. It was originally a protective apron "pinned afore," or over, one's clothes. These days, a pinafore is primarily worn by a young girl, and in Britain it's called a pinny for short.

Example Sentences

It's of a brown bear with big claws and a blonde woman in a green pinafore dress beside it.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026

“I love the scale of the check. I thought it harked back to the original pinafore she wore in the first ‘Beetlejuice,’” says Atwood.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 24, 2024

It looked like old lady clothes, but also the pinafore type of things.

From New York Times • May 4, 2022

Later, sequined pinafore dresses were paired with knee-high boots and tops featured long pockets hanging like scarves.

From Reuters • Mar. 7, 2022

But that didn’t mean Ophie was alone: a little girl with pale blond braids and a pinafore sat curled up in a wing chair, reading a book.

From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland

Related Words

• apparel
• attire
• costume
• ensemble
• frock
• garb
• gown
• robe
• skirt
• smock
• suit
• uniform
• wardrobe