shirt

[shurt]

noun

1. a long- or short-sleeved garment for the upper part of the body, usually lightweight and having a collar and a front opening.

2. an undergarment of cotton, or other material, for the upper part of the body.

3. a shirtwaist.

4. a nightshirt.

shirt

/ ʃɜːt /

noun

1. a garment worn on the upper part of the body, esp by men, usually of light material and typically having a collar and sleeves and buttoning up the front

2. short for nightshirt undershirt

3. informal,  refrain from losing your temper (often used as an exhortation to another)

4. informal,  to bet all one has on (a horse, etc)

5. informal,  to lose all one has on (a horse, etc)

Other Word Forms

• shirtless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of shirt¹

before 1150; Middle English schirte, Old English scyrte; cognate with German Schürze, Dutch schort apron, Old Norse skyrta skirt

Word History and Origins

Origin of shirt¹

Old English scyrte; related to Old English sceort _short , Old Norse skyrta skirt, Middle High German schurz apron

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in one's shirt sleeves, without a coat: Also in one's shirt-sleeves.

   It was so hot that they worked in their shirt sleeves.

2. lose one's shirt, to lose all that one possesses; suffer a severe financial reverse.

   He lost his shirt in the stock market.

3. keep one's shirt on, to refrain from becoming angry or impatient; remain calm.

   Tell him to keep his shirt on until we're ready.

see give the shirt off one's back; hair shirt; keep one's shirt on; lose one's shirt; stuffed shirt.

Example Sentences

He made headlines when he took the number one shirt himself.

Read more on BBC

In the attached photo, Mosquera sports a thick white beard, with tattoos peeping out of his orange shirt, and is described as a "latin king street gang member" convicted of "first-degree murder".

Read more on Barron's

He said he was there to represent “Mexicans for ICE” before taking off his shirt and challenging another protester to a fight.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He was dressed in standard Mexican grandpa attire: long flannel shirt, blue hat, jeans and sneakers along with a salt-and-pepper mustache and a leather cellphone case hanging from his belt.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He wore just jeans—no shirt—in a video filmed during his presidential campaign.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• blouse 
• jersey 
• pullover 
• tunic 
• turtleneck