Onesies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of one-piece infant garment, typically resembling a T-shirt combined with pants, designed for comfort and convenience
2. A casual, often colorful outfit for babies or small children that covers the torso and legs
3. A popular style of clothing for children featuring snaps at the bottom for easy diaper changes

Etymology: "Onesies" is a trademark-era coinage built from ordinary English parts: "one," meaning a single unit, plus the diminutive-style ending "-sie," spelled "-sy" in many English words of the same kind. The result is a playful name for a garment that is literally a single piece. The "-sy" ending was productive in English for creating informal, affectionate forms, as in "hanky" and "movie," and "onesie" follows that pattern. The "one" element traces back through Middle English "on" and Old English "ān" to a Proto-Germanic root, so the word's deepest parts are old Germanic material, while the ending itself is a much later English addition.

Synonyms: bodysuits, one-pieces