cheongsam

[ chawng-sahm ]

noun

1. a form-fitting, knee-length dress with a mandarin collar and slit skirt, worn chiefly by Chinese women.

cheongsam

/ ˈtʃɒŋˈsæm /

noun

1. a straight dress, usually of silk or cotton, with a stand-up collar and a slit in one side of the skirt, worn by Chinese women

Word History and Origins

Origin of cheongsam¹

1955–60; < Chinese dial. (Guangdong) chèuhngsāam, equivalent to Chinese chángshān long dress

Word History and Origins

Origin of cheongsam¹

from Chinese (Cantonese), variant of Mandarin ch'ang shan long jacket

Example Sentences

And some nominees chose ensembles with personal details: Costume designer Ruth Carter, in a dramatic yellow gown, wore 3D-printed earrings from designer Julia Koerner, who also created Bassett’s crown in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”; composer Diane Warren wore her usual dark rocker-chic suit, but added Oscar-gold shoes; supporting actress nominee Hong Chau chose a pink Prada gown with a collar reminiscent of a classic cheongsam dress.

From Seattle Times

Perhaps only Bruce Lee’s fist or the Cheongsam sway of another Wong favorite, Maggie Cheung, compare.

From New York Times

This is not about a white person wearing a cheongsam to prom or a sombrero to a frat party or boasting about the “strange,” “exotic,” “foreign” foods they’ve tried, any of which has the potential to come across as derisive or misrepresentative or to annoy someone from the originating culture — although refusal to interact with or appreciate other cultures would be a greater cause for offense — but which are generally irrelevant to larger issues of capital and power.

From New York Times

They resuscitated an older nickname for South Korea, “thief country,” claiming that the hanbok is essentially the Chinese qipao, also known as the cheongsam.

From Washington Post

Donning streetwear that features traditional cultural symbols is another way youth are wearing their cultural pride without fussing with the challenges of properly tying a kimono or without the large price tag of purchasing an authentic cheongsam.

From Seattle Times