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

In fact, many retail investors lose their shirts trading options over time.

Read more on MarketWatch

The missing man was wearing a white turban, black shorts, black shirt and a black vest.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Scott Boland put in probably his worst performance in an Australia shirt in the first innings, then turned it around in the second to be the catalyst for the comeback.

Read more on BBC

Broad is one of the greatest to pull on an England shirt, yet his attributes of accuracy and movement did not always lend themselves to success down under.

Read more on BBC

That’s because they are hand puppets — a monkey in a suit and a red rabbit in a striped shirt, respectively — at the forefront of the beloved Chilean TV show “31 Minutos.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• blouse 
• jersey 
• pullover 
• tunic 
• turtleneck