sweater

American  

[swet-er] / ˈswɛt ər /

noun

1. a knitted jacket or jersey, in pullover or cardigan style, with or without sleeves.

2. a person or thing that sweats.

3. an employer who underpays and overworks employees.

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adjective

1. of, for, or pertaining to a sweater.

   sweater yarn; sweater fashions.

2. made like a sweater.

   a sweater dress.

sweater British  

/ ˈswɛtə /

noun

1. 1. a garment made of knitted or crocheted material covering the upper part of the body, esp a heavy one worn for warmth

   2. ( as modifier )

      a sweater dress

2. a person or thing that sweats

3. an employer who overworks and underpays his employees

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Etymology

Origin of sweater

1520–30 sweater for def. 2; 1880–85 sweater for def. 1; sweat + -er ¹

Explanation

A sweater is a knitted piece of clothing that covers the top part of your body. Some people have ugly Christmas sweater contests—and if you wear your neon green reindeer sweater covered with pom-poms, you just might win! In Britain it's a jumper, but in most of North America, it's a sweater. You put on a sweater either by pulling it over your head (if it's a pullover), or by putting your arms in the sleeves and shrugging it onto your shoulders (if it's a cardigan). As you might have guessed, sweater comes from sweat—the earliest sweaters were worn by rowers, and were intended "to produce sweating and reduce weight."

Example Sentences

She’s in a navy sweater; I’m starting to envy her knitwear.

From Slate • May 10, 2026

In that post, a man with brown hair and a half-smile is pictured wearing a navy blue quarter-zip sweater, hands folded behind his back.

From Barron's • Apr. 26, 2026

Old Navy’s is somewhat tasteful and tongue-in-cheek, offering a cable-knit cerulean sweater with a charming red high-heel logo, tote bags and tops with a few of the movie’s key phrases printed on them.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026

‘Humanize me a little,” says the petite woman in a cashmere sweater at the end of a forthright, occasionally spiky interview.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

He found me, to his great relief, not on the toilet, or half-naked, or singing Rigoletto, but propped up in my bed, darning a sweater that Etta had dropped off.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman