Boardshorts

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of casual swimming and surfing attire typically made of quick-drying fabric and designed for comfort and mobility in water sports
2. Lightweight shorts commonly worn for water activities, characterized by a loose fit and durable material suited for beach and surf environments
3. Apparel consisting of mid-length shorts crafted from water-resistant textiles intended to provide ease during aquatic recreation and sun exposure activities

Etymology: Surfing gave this word its shape. "Board" here is the surfboard, and "shorts" is the garment, so the compound names the loose, knee-length trunks surfers wore in the water. The word is a plain combination of two existing English words, with no borrowed or coined sources involved. The wording tells the story. The first element points to the sport that made the shorts necessary: surfers standing on boards needed legs that would not catch on the water, and the baggy cut answered that need. The second element is the old word "shorts," which had long meant short trousers before this compound narrowed it to swimwear. Because the word is built from familiar parts, its meaning is easy to read off the components. The compound fixed a single image in English: a rider on a board, dressed in trunks cut for the waves.

Synonyms: swim trunks, surf shorts, swim shorts, beach shorts