undershorts

American

[uhn-der-shawrts] / ˈʌn dərˌʃɔrts /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

short underpants for men and boys.

undershorts British

/ ˈʌndəˌʃɔːts /

plural noun

another word for shorts

"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 undershorts

1945–50; under- + shorts

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.

Wimbledon's all-white rule was eased in 2022 to allow women to wear dark-coloured undershorts at the tennis Grand Slam.

From BBC • Nov. 18, 2025

Similarly, during the Middle Ages, Celts and Germanic tribespeople wore baggy undershorts called braies.

From National Geographic • Jan. 9, 2024

Now they are allowed to wear dark-colored undershorts.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 5, 2023

It was the equivalent of the tough guy in the trench coat getting caught with his undershorts around his ankles.

From Washington Post • Oct. 9, 2018

In a little while he put fresh undershorts back on and set out for the beach in his moccasins, a khaki-colored bath towel draped over his shoulders.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023