Nightshirts

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A casual garment designed for sleep, usually reaching below the knees, that provides comfort and can come in a variety of styles and materials
2. A type of sleepwear that typically falls to the mid-calf or longer and is created for relaxation during slumber, made from various soft fabrics
3. A loose-fitting shirt-like garment worn at bedtime for comfort during sleep

Etymology: "Nightshirts" is the plural of "nightshirt," a long, loose garment worn in bed. The singular is a plain compound of "night" and "shirt," with no hidden twist: the first part names the time it is worn, and the second names the garment's basic form, a loose body covering descended from the shirt that people wore next to the skin under other clothes. The compound shows its logic clearly. A "nightshirt" is a shirt for the night, much as a "nightcap" was a cap for the night and a "nightgown" a gown for the same purpose. Its history is simply the history of the two parts put together, so the word tells you what the garment is and when it is worn in a single breath.