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underwear

American  
[uhn-der-wair] / ˈʌn dərˌwɛər /

noun

  1. clothing worn worn next to the skin under outer clothes.

underwear British  
/ ˈʌndəˌwɛə /

noun

  1. Also called: underclothes.  clothing worn under the outer garments, usually next to the skin

"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 underwear

First recorded in 1870–75; under- + wear

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.

William Skannerup glanced left and right at his fellow commuters on the London Underground train network, before they nodded in agreement and pulled down their trousers to reveal colourful underwear.

From Barron's

I thought one extra pair of underwear would be enough.

From The Wall Street Journal

I'm concerned about selling any underwear in an office vending machine.

From The Wall Street Journal

Activewear brand Sweaty Betty has become involved in a new dispute over advertising slogans, which a period underwear company claims were copied.

From BBC

The company’s menswear line is the official underwear partner of the NBA, and its bras, tops and sweatpants for women are hugely popular.

From Los Angeles Times

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.