Undergarments

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Items of clothing designed to be worn under outer garments for comfort, hygiene, or support
2. Apparel intended to be worn directly against the skin beneath other clothes to provide insulation or modesty
3. Clothes worn underneath visible clothing, often serving purposes like protection, shaping, or hygiene

Etymology: "Undergarments" is the plural of "undergarment", a compound of "under" and "garment". The first element comes from Old English "under", meaning beneath or below, and the second comes from Old French "garnement", a word for equipment or clothing that entered English in the Middle Ages. Put together, the compound describes anything worn beneath the outer clothes, and the plural simply names a set of such items.

Synonyms: underwear, lingerie, intimates

Antonyms: outerwear