shirtwaist

[shurt-weyst]

noun

1. a tailored blouse or shirt worn by women.

2. Also called shirt-dress. Also called shirtwaist dress,. Also called shirtwaister. a dress with a bodice and a front opening tailored like those of a dress shirt.

Word History and Origins

Origin of shirtwaist¹

First recorded in 1875–80; shirt + waist

Example Sentences

An opening scene shows Gold swapping her designer dress with a refugee’s dirty shirtwaist to allow the woman to blend more easily into society.

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Died while that woman was doing piece work for a shirtwaist factory.

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It was introduced on March 25, the 111th anniversary of the Triangle shirtwaist factory fire, which set in motion so many fundamental workplace reforms.

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Today, a shadowbox containing a miniature shirtwaist dress embroidered with the names of the 146 garment workers killed in the fire marks that address.

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The shirtwaist dress made Halston famous, a largely forgotten credit along with many of his other ready-to-wear mass market designs.

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