Middy

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A design of shirt featuring a circular neckline frequently associated with naval personnel
2. A collar style characterized by its rounded form, often seen in maritime uniforms
3. A type of shirt known for its association with naval uniforms, identifiable by a distinct neck design ; A distinctive round-edged collar commonly part of maritime dress uniforms

Etymology: "Middy" is a clipped form of "middy blouse," the loose, square-collared top with a sailor-style flap at the back that became a fashion staple for schoolgirls and young women. The first half of the phrase refers to the midshipman, the young trainee officer in the navy, whose informal nickname "middy" was borrowed for the garment. The blouse took its look from naval uniform, and the shortened form arrived in English as a convenient name for it. The chain of words is simple: "midshipman" is a compound of "mid" (in the sense of "amidships," the middle of a ship) and "ship," and "middy" is a short, familiar form of that naval title. Once the blouse had the name, people no longer needed the full phrase, so the clipped noun took over in everyday speech.

Synonyms: midshipman, sailor, deckhand, crew member