lingerie

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun women's underwear and nightclothes

Etymology

Borrowed from French lingerie (“linen closet”). The irregular pronunciation is a hyperforeignism; it may derive from the frequent shift of /ɛ̃/ (which is this word's first vowel in standard French) toward /ɑ̃/ or [æ̃] in European French, which also tends to be drifted towards /ɔ̃/.

In classic literature

Synonyms

intimate apparel

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