chemise

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a woman's sleeveless undergarment
  2. noun a loose-fitting dress hanging straight from the shoulders without a waist

Etymology

From French chemise, from Old French chemise, from Late Latin camisa, camisia ("shirt, undergarment, nightgown"; whence Old English cemes (“shirt”)), from Proto-West Germanic *hamiþi (“shirt”) (whence Old English hemeþe, Old High German hemidi, modern German Hemd (“shirt”)), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱam- (“cover, clothes”). Cognate also with Saterland Frisian Hoamd (“shirt”), Dutch hemd (“shirt”), Old English ham (“undergarment”), hama (“covering, dress, garment”). See also shimmy, from a dialectal variant. More at hame.

In classic literature

Synonyms

shimmy, shift, slip, teddy

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