shirt·sleeve

(shûrt′slēv′)

1. The sleeve of a shirt.

2. shirtsleeves The state of wearing no coat, jacket, or other outer garment over one's shirt: dined in shirtsleeves; balmy weather that had them down to their shirtsleeves.

adj.

1. also shirt·sleeved (-slēvd′) Dressed without a coat: shirtsleeve spectators; a shirtsleeved orchestra.

2. also shirtsleeves Calling for the removal of a coat or jacket; not requiring a coat or jacket for comfort: shirtsleeve weather; a shirtsleeves picnic.

3. also shirtsleeves Marked by informality or straightforwardness: shirtsleeve politics; a shirtsleeves conference.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

shirtsleeves - not wearing a jacket; "in your shirtsleeves" means you are not wearing anything over your shirt; "in hot weather they dined in their shirtsleeves"

deshabille, dishabille - the state of being carelessly or partially dressed

Translations

maniche di camicia

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

She smiled, and gave some message to an elderly man in white shirtsleeves, who had followed her to the door.

View in context

East tied his handkerchief round his waist, and rolled up his shirtsleeves for him.

View in context

The prisoners in their shirtsleeves were enjoying a chat and the evening air in the doorway, when I entered.

View in context

The last Edna saw of Bert was his figure, in charred and blackened shirtsleeves, standing in the dusk.

View in context

Who do you mean?' Wolfi had come over and was standing beside the oven, his shirtsleeves rolled up, unconsciously wringing his hands.

MORNING SERIAL

He is dressed only in shirtsleeves something that caused a stir when it was first exhibited in 1855.

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For his performance of the song, penned by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice Musical, Martin swapped his usual shirtsleeves for a floor length coat, striped blue, yellow and pink.

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'While many cultures have the equivalent of the American proverb 'shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations' [the Chinese call it the 'three-generation jinx'], some of the next generation leaders are trying their hardest to buck that trend: 88 percent want to leave a stamp on the business.'

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Chances are they all want to avoid the saying, "From shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations", which indicates that wealth cannot be retained and sustained.

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They pin the names of their love interests onto their shirtsleeves for the day.

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"Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations" is an aphorism found in cultures around the world used to describe the tendency of the third generation of a family to squander the wealth obtained by the first.

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