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definitions

shirt-sleeve

or shirt·sleeve, shirt-sleeved, shirt-sleeves

[shurt-sleev]
adjective
  1. not wearing a jacket; informally dressed: a shirt-sleeve mob.
  2. warm enough to live or work in without wearing a jacket or coat: shirt-sleeve weather in November.
  3. simple, plain, and informal; direct and straightforward in approach, manner, etc.: shirt-sleeve diplomacy.

Origin of shirt-sleeve

First recorded in 1560–70
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for shirt-sleeves

Historical Examples of shirt-sleeves

  • He had stripped off his coat and waistcoat, and was busily at work in his shirt-sleeves.

    Little Daffydowndilly

    Nathaniel Hawthorne

  • His white locks were uncovered, and he was in his shirt-sleeves.

    The Village Watch-Tower

    (AKA Kate Douglas Riggs) Kate Douglas Wiggin

  • He was in his shirt-sleeves, his waistcoat unbuttoned and loose.

  • His shirt-sleeves were rolled up, too, and his brown arms were bare to the elbows.

    A Tale of Two Cities

    Charles Dickens

  • David came in his shirt-sleeves, for he had been fetched from his work.

    Heather and Snow

    George MacDonald

Word Origin and History for shirt-sleeves
n.

1560s, from shirt (n.) + sleeve (n.). Usually with the notion of "without a coat."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper