shirt

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

Examples of shirt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Loosely Wrapped Over a Pair of Fluid Trousers Pleated pants, a striped button-up shirt, and summer-ready accessories elevate to a whole new level with Chan Luu’s cashmere and silk scarf threaded through the belt loops. — Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 16 July 2026

The prices tip Baldi into the special occasion category, though most guests are dressed in shirts appropriate for a Tuesday morning golf game. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026

Once fall approaches, simply switch to a long-sleeve shirt or layer a cardigan on top. — India Roby, Glamour, 16 July 2026

Rex, opened back in 2023 in the Crossroads, selling vintage shirts, polos, hoodies, denim and jackets, as well as their own line of upcycled merch. — Kansas City Star, 16 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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