chemise

Meaning

Noun

• A loose shirtlike undergarment, especially for women.
• A short nightdress, or similar piece of lingerie.
• A woman's dress that fits loosely; a chemise dress.
• A wall that lines the face of a bank or earthwork.

Origin

• From French chemise, from Old French chemise (whence Old English ċemes, cemes), from Late Latin camisa, camisia, from Frankish *chamithia, from Proto-Germanic *hamiþiją ("clothes, shirt, skirt") (whence also Old English hemeþe), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱam- ("cover, clothes"). Cognate with Old High German hemidi ("shirt") (German Hemd), Old English hemeþe ("shirt"), ham, hama. See also shimmy, from a dialectal variant. More at hame.