shirt
shirt
Pronunciation
Shirt: /ʃɜːrt/
First Syllable:
/ʃ/ - voiceless postalveolar fricative (like the "sh" in "shoe")
/ɜː/ - open-mid central unrounded vowel (like the "ir" in "bird" in British English, or often represented as /ɝ/ for American English, similar to the "er" in "her")
/r/ - voiced alveolar approximant (like the "r" in "red")
/t/ - voiceless alveolar plosive (like the "t" in "top")
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: shirt
Plural Noun: shirts
Verb (base form): shirt (less common, usually used in phrasal verbs or specific contexts)
Verb (third-person singular present): shirts
Verb (present participle): shirting
Verb (past tense/past participle): shirted
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition: A garment worn on the upper part of the body, typically made of woven or knitted fabric, often having a collar, sleeves, and buttons down the front, and usually worn over an undershirt or directly against the skin.
Synonyms: blouse, top, tunic, chemise, jersey
Antonyms: trousers, skirt, shorts (other clothing items, not direct antonyms in the sense of opposite meaning, but represent distinct garment types)
Definition: (Figurative, informal) The financial responsibility or cost associated with a particular item or service, often used in phrases like "give someone the shirt off your back" to imply extreme generosity.
Synonyms: expense, burden, cost, tab
Antonyms: benefit, profit, gain
Verb
Definition: To dress or clothe someone in a shirt. (This usage is rare and often sounds archaic or formal.)
Synonyms: clothe, attire, garb, dress
Antonyms: undress, disrobe, strip
Definition: To provide with a shirt or shirts. (Also a less common usage, often found in specific contexts like "the company shirts its employees with uniforms.")
Synonyms: furnish, supply, equip, uniform
Antonyms: deprive, divest, remove
Examples of Use
Books:
"He wore a crisp white shirt, slightly unbuttoned at the collar, a stark contrast to his rugged features." (From The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes)
"Ron was wearing his maroon school robes over his pajamas, Harry his jeans and a T-shirt." (From Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling, July 1998)
Newspapers:
"The politician, donning a blue collared shirt, addressed the crowd on economic reform." (The New York Times)
"Local artists are selling custom-designed T-shirts to raise money for community projects." (The Guardian)
Online Publications:
"Five essential summer shirts every man should own for a stylish and comfortable season." (GQ Online)
"Scientists developing new smart fabrics that can monitor vital signs when woven into a simple shirt." ( MIT Technology Review)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "Why don't you put on a shirt? You'll catch a cold." (Dialogue from the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, June 1986)
Television Series: "She picked out a bright floral shirt for her character to wear, aiming for a cheerful yet professional look." (Referring to a costume choice in the TV series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, March 2023)
Music Lyrics: "I wear my sunglasses at night, so I can, so I can, watch you weave then breathe your story lines." (While the specific word "shirt" isn't in this lyric, many song lyrics reference clothing, and a common associated item would be a T-shirt or other type of shirt often worn with sunglasses.)
Video Games: "Your character's new inventory includes a reinforced leather shirt, offering increased defense." (Found in descriptions for armor items in role-playing video games, e.2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, November 2011)
General Public Discourse:
"Can you pass me my clean shirt from the dryer?" (Everyday conversation)
"He lost his shirt betting on that horse race." (Idiomatic expression, meaning to lose all one's money)
"I need to iron this shirt before my meeting tomorrow." (Common household task discussion)
"They were campaigning door-to-door, all wearing matching team shirts." (Describing group attire)
10 Quotes Using Shirt
"Beware of the naked man who offers you his shirt." (Navjot Singh Sidhu)
"Near is my shirt, but nearer is my skin." (Common proverb, attributed to various sources including Aristotle)
"This shirt is dry clean only. Which means... it's dirty." (Mitch Hedberg)
"Ask me for my shirt off my back, I'll give it to you. Tell me? Not a chance." (Roddy Piper)
"If commercialization is putting my art on a shirt so that a kid who can't afford a $30,000 painting can buy one, then I'm all for it." (Keith Haring)
"You can never go wrong with a pair of jeans, a cool tailored shirt, and a nice jacket." (Julian Edelman)
"To wear a floral shirt is an experience." (Brian Wilson)
"I always dressed as a man when I was at school. I loved wearing a tie and a shirt, and I was always wearing suits." (Cate Blanchett)
"The high point of my career was winning the Champions League. No one will ever erase that from my memory, in the same way that no one will ever erase the fact that I did it in a Manchester United shirt." (Cristiano Ronaldo1)
"If you've impulsively promised the shirt off your back and now find yourself shivering out in the cold, remember that generosity should be balanced with practicality." (Original)
Etymology
The word "shirt" has a long history, going back to very old Germanic languages. It comes from the Proto-Germanic word "*skurtijō," which meant a "short garment." This makes sense because shirts were originally simpler, shorter tunics or undergarments.
From "*skurtijō," it evolved into Old English as "scyrte" or "scyrtec," still referring to a garment, often an undergarment or a tunic. The idea of it being "short" is key to its earliest meaning, differentiating it from longer robes or cloaks.
The first known uses of "shirt" in English, in forms like "scyrte," appeared around the 8th or 9th century. At that time, it was primarily used to describe a simple, close-fitting garment worn on the upper body, often as underwear or a basic tunic by both men and women. Over centuries, as fashion evolved, the term "shirt" began to refer specifically to the outer garment we recognize today, with collars, cuffs, and buttons, becoming distinct from undergarments or other types of tops.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Shirt
Keep your shirt on: (Idiom) Remain calm; don't get angry or impatient.
Lose one's shirt: (Idiom) To lose all or a significant portion of one's money, especially through gambling or a bad investment.
Give the shirt off one's back: (Idiom) To be extremely generous, willing to give away everything one owns to help someone.
In one's shirt-sleeves: (Phrase) Without a jacket or coat; informally dressed.
To put one's shirt on something: (Idiom) To bet all one's money on something; to be very confident in an outcome.
Sticking close like a wet shirt: (Phrase) To be extremely persistent or difficult to get rid of.
To be down to one's last shirt: (Idiom) To have very little money left; to be almost destitute.
Get your shirt in a knot: (Idiom, similar to "keep your shirt on") To become overly agitated or upset.
A clean shirt and a clear conscience: (Phrase, original) Suggests readiness for a new beginning or a state of innocence.
Working for mere shirts: (Phrase, original) Implies being paid very little for one's labor, barely enough to cover basic necessities like clothing.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of shirt from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
