shirt
Americannoun
-
a long- or short-sleeved garment for the upper part of the body, usually lightweight and having a collar and a front opening.
-
an undergarment of cotton, or other material, for the upper part of the body.
-
a shirtwaist.
-
a nightshirt.
idioms
-
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.
-
lose one's shirt, to lose all that one possesses; suffer a severe financial reverse.
He lost his shirt in the stock market.
-
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.
noun
-
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
-
short for nightshirt undershirt
-
informal refrain from losing your temper (often used as an exhortation to another)
-
informal to bet all one has on (a horse, etc)
-
informal to lose all one has on (a horse, etc)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of shirt
before 1150; Middle English schirte, Old English scyrte; cognate with German Schürze, Dutch schort apron, Old Norse skyrta skirt
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Shirt pulling then cost the South Africans a penalty and Togolese substitute Marouf Tchakei levelled by firing a low spot kick into the corner of the net.
From Barron's • Nov. 30, 2025
Chesney’s summer stadium shows are attended by a faithful fan army known as “No Shoes Nation” in honor of his hit album “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problems.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 3, 2025
Occasional weird inventions are folded in: a “hambulance” delivering ham; food trucks selling potato ice cream and soup on a stick; something called Pacifier Shirt Syndrome, caused by rubbing a dropped pacifier on a short.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 22, 2025
In the brand-conscious ‘80s, the right item of designer clothing could make or break a kid’s popularity, meriting a Gartrell name drop in “A Shirt Story,” a Hall of Fame-level episode of “The Cosby Show.”
From Salon • Jul. 23, 2025
The Man in the White Shirt was surprised by how quiet it was, so close to the center of town.
From "Eleven" by Tom Rogers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
