shirt

1 of 2

noun

ˈshərt 

1

: a garment for the upper part of the body: such as

a

: a cloth garment usually having a collar, sleeves, a front opening, and a tail long enough to be tucked inside trousers or a skirt

b

: undershirt

2

: all or a large part of one's money or resources

lost his shirt on that business deal

shirtless

ˈshərt-ləs 

adjective

shirtlessness noun

shirtlike

ˈshərt-ˌlīk 

adjective

shirtless

2 of 2

adjective

shirt·​less -|t|lə̇s 

: being without a shirt

shirtlessness noun

plural -es

Examples of shirt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Bobby’s is a flouncy skirt and a knotted shirt straight out of the early-aughts MTV Movie & TV Awards, and Elizabeth’s is a full-length dress made out of brown faux leather with a bunch of long plaits swinging off it. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 31 July 2026

The adjustable drawstring waist creates a customizable fit, while the breezy, relaxed silhouette pairs effortlessly with everything from simple tank tops to button-down shirts. — Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 31 July 2026

At home in Novato, Vantrease lifts his shirt to show where a catheter was surgically implanted to drain uncomfortable fluid buildup in his abdomen. — Laurie Udesky, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026

Blood was still dripping from my head and both elbows, and my shirt was soaked in blood, which was now seeping into my pants. — Todd Orr, Outdoor Life, 30 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English shirte, from Old English scyrte; akin to Old Norse skyrta shirt, Old English scort short

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing shirt

• aloha shirt
• bloody shirt
• body shirt
• bush shirt
• camp shirt
• dress shirt
• give (someone) the shirt off one's back
• hair shirt
• Hawaiian shirt
• henley shirt
• keep your shirt on
• lose one's shirt
• lumberjack shirt
• muscle shirt
• polo shirt
• put one's shirt on
• ringer T-shirt
• shirt jacket
• sport shirt
• sports shirt
• stuffed shirt
• tee shirt
• T-shirt

Rhymes for shirt

• blurt
• chert
• curt
• dirt
• flirt
• girt
• hurt
• peart
• pert
• skirt
• spurt
• squirt

Kids Definition

shirt

noun

ˈshərt 

1

: a garment for the upper part of the body usually with a collar, sleeves, a front opening, and a tail long enough to be tucked inside pants or a skirt

2

: undershirt