definitions

plain clothes

or plain·clothes

|

plural noun

clothing other than one's uniform, especially civilian clothes worn on duty by a police officer.

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Nearby words

plaided, plain, plain as day, plain bearing, plain chocolate, plain clothes, plain dealing, plain film, plain flour, plain jane, plain knit

Origin of plain clothes

First recorded in 1815–25
Related formsplain-clothes, plain·clothes, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for plain clothes

British Dictionary definitions for plain clothes

plain clothes

pl n

  1. ordinary clothes, as distinguished from uniform, as worn by a police detective on duty
  2. (as modifier)a plain-clothes policeman
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

Word Origin and History for plain clothes

plain clothes

n.

"ordinary dress" (as opposed to military uniform), 1822; of police detectives, it is attested from 1842. Also plainclothes.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper