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T-shirt

American  
[tee-shurt] / ˈtiˌʃɜrt /
Or tee-shirt,

noun

  1. a lightweight, usually knitted, pullover shirt, close-fitting and with a round neckline and short sleeves, worn as an undershirt or outer garment.

T-shirt British  

noun

  1. a lightweight simple garment for the upper body, usually short-sleeved

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of T-shirt

First recorded in 1940–45; named from its shape

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.

INDIO, Calif. -- The T-shirt said it all: “Madonna in the dance tent!”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

"Because if you've been there, you get the T-shirt, right?" she adds, laughing.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

The cheeky Midwestern T-shirt purveyor Raygun has an “Iowa Needs Insufferable Wenches” shirt that raises money for their efforts.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

In July 1987, Gil, then 26 years old, donned a T-shirt with the phrase “Justice is a constant struggle” and set off for the clink in Kansas.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

Coal put on the pants, the T-shirt, socks, and the sneakers.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

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.