clothing | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

145 entries found.

c. 1200, "action of dressing in clothes," verbal noun from clothe. From late 13c. as "clothes collectively, raiment, apparel;" 1590s as an adjective.

clothe (v.)

"to put on garments; provide with clothing," Old English claðian, from claþ (see cloth). Related: Clothed, clothing. Other Old English words for this were scrydan and gewædian. Figurative sense "cover as with clothing" is from c. 1300.

undress (v.)

1590s, "to shed one's clothing," from un- (2) "opposite of" + dress (v.). Transitive sense of "to strip off (someone's) clothing" is recorded from 1610s. Related: Undressed; undressing.

raiment (n.)

c. 1400, "clothes, an article of clothing, vesture" (archaic), shortening of arayment "clothing" (late 14c.), from Anglo-French araiement, from Old French areement, from areer "to array" (see array (v.)).

accoutrement (n.)

usually plural, accoutrements, "personal clothing and equipment," 1540s, from French accoustrement (Modern French accoutrement), from accoustrer, from Old French acostrer "arrange, dispose, put on (clothing)," probably originally "sew up" (see accouter).

liveried (adj.)

1630s, from livery (n.) in the sense "distinctive clothing given to servants."

understated (adj.)

1939, of clothing, fashions, writing, etc., figurative use of the past participle of understate (v.).

vesture (n.)

late 14c., "garments, clothes worn by a person at one time," from Anglo-French and Old French vesture, vesteure "dress, clothes, clothing," from Vulgar Latin *vestitura "vestments, clothing," from Latin vestivus, past participle of vestire "to clothe," from PIE *wes- (4) "to clothe" (see wear (v.)).

skin-tight (adj.)

"fitting like skin," 1885, originally of men's clothing, from skin (n.) + tight (adj.).

fatigues (n.)

1776, "extra duties of a soldier," from fatigue (n.). As a military clothing outfit, from 1836, short for fatigue dress (1833); fatigue cap is from 1824.

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