Synonyms

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.

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

From National Geographic • Jan. 9, 2024

Women and girls can now wear mid- or dark-coloured undershorts, provided they are no longer than their skirt.

From BBC • Nov. 17, 2022

The new rules state that women can now “wear solid, mid/dark-colored undershorts provided they are no longer than their shorts or skirt.”

From Seattle Times • Nov. 17, 2022

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