shirt

noun

ˈshərt How to pronounce shirt (audio)
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 How to pronounce shirt (audio)
adjective
shirtlessness noun
shirtlike
ˈshərt-ˌlīk How to pronounce shirt (audio)
adjective

Examples of shirt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The club confirmed in a statement that their agreement for the company to become the club’s front-of-shirt and training wear partner had ended after less than two months. — Andy Jones, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026 The slogan shirt especially looms large in Lawrence’s current summer capsule. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026 The Beam family was at Raimondi Park sporting shirts with artwork of their beloved dad, husband, brother and grandfather. — Andrea Nakano, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 In the shirt scenario, such a chain would link the user’s instructions to the agent, the agent’s actions and the records held by the retailer and the payment service. — Aashis Luitel, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shirt

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of shirt was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing shirt

Rhymes for shirt

See All Rhymes for shirt

Browse Nearby Words

shirring
shirt
shirtband
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shirt. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

shirt

noun
ˈshərt How to pronounce shirt (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on shirt

Nglish: Translation of shirt for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shirt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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