shirtwaist

[ shurt-weyst ]

noun

a tailored blouse or shirt worn by women.
Also called shirt-dress, shirtwaist dress, shirtwaister. a dress with a bodice and a front opening tailored like those of adress shirt.

Origin of shirtwaist

First recorded in 1875–80; shirt + waist

“I might buy that dotted swiss shirtwaist,” whispered Betty, as Mrs. Watterby ordered five yards of apron gingham measured off.
Betty Gordon in the Land of Oil | Alice B. Emerson
She had dressed herself in a simple skirt and shirtwaist of spotless white.
The Foolish Virgin | Thomas Dixon
But life told them that society was brutal: an episode like the shirtwaist factory fire drove them to blasphemy and dynamite.
A Preface to Politics | Walter Lippmann
She was wearing a shirtwaist and skirt that had the bright colors and fullness you associate with peasant dress.
Card Trick | Walter Bupp AKA Randall Garrett
She laughed in low, rich tones, and her shirtwaist rose and fell rapidly from short breathing.
Just Around the Corner | Fannie Hurst

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