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 wrote that he traded in his signature Hawaiian shirts for “a closet full of crazy T-shirts, all emblazoned with messages that encouraged people to wash their hands and mask up.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"I don't think there was anyone in a Newcastle United shirt who didn't get fed and watered that night. They were just really appreciative that we were enjoying their city."

Read more on BBC

The U.S. currency became “oversold,” but now it once again looks like “the cleanest shirt in the laundry,” he said.

Read more on MarketWatch

"We don't want Malians to be without fuel," added the 30-year-old in a Manchester United shirt.

Read more on Barron's

Amira was seated watching a film when she saw a man in a white shirt leap out of his seat about five rows in front of her followed by screams of "knife, knife".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• blouse 
• jersey 
• pullover 
• tunic 
• turtleneck