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Synonyms

shirt

American  
[shurt] / ʃɜrt /

noun

  1. a long- or short-sleeved garment for the upper part of the body, usually lightweight and having a collar and a front opening.

  2. an undergarment of cotton, or other material, for the upper part of the body.

  3. a shirtwaist.

  4. a nightshirt.

idioms

  1. in one's shirt sleeves, without a coat: Also in one's shirt-sleeves.

    It was so hot that they worked in their shirt sleeves.

  2. lose one's shirt, to lose all that one possesses; suffer a severe financial reverse.

    He lost his shirt in the stock market.

  3. keep one's shirt on, to refrain from becoming angry or impatient; remain calm.

    Tell him to keep his shirt on until we're ready.
shirt British  
/ ʃɜːt /

noun

  1. a garment worn on the upper part of the body, esp by men, usually of light material and typically having a collar and sleeves and buttoning up the front

  2. short for nightshirt undershirt

  3. informal refrain from losing your temper (often used as an exhortation to another)

  4. informal to bet all one has on (a horse, etc)

  5. informal to lose all one has on (a horse, etc)

"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
shirt More Idioms  

  1. see give the shirt off one's back; hair shirt; keep one's shirt on; lose one's shirt; stuffed shirt.

Other Word Forms

  • shirtless adjective

Etymology

Origin of shirt

before 1150; Middle English schirte, Old English scyrte; cognate with German Schürze, Dutch schort apron, Old Norse skyrta skirt

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.

She had joked that the shirt better not be found near the crime scene.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

Lauren Halsey walks by in her distinctive white shirt, long shorts and ball cap, beset on all sides by friends and admirers.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

In 1983 Bill Murray took his passport photo in a Hawaiian shirt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

On Saturday, several members of the 1976 team will be present for events, including a pre-match walkout and a post-match shirt auction.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

I wiped the tears from my face with the sleeve of my shirt.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

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.