lingerie
/ˈlãʒ(ə)ri
/noun [mass noun]
Women’s underwear and nightclothes.Honestly, she writes well and knows her lingerie from strap to underwire and back again....
- Her field was glamour - pouting prettily in skimpy lingerie or swimwear.
- How often are women in bikinis or lingerie found with their limbs spread, or in a come-hither pose?
Synonyms
women's underwear, underclothes, underclothing, undergarments, nightwear, nightclothes
informal undies, frillies, underthings, unmentionables
British informal smalls
rare underlinen
Origin
Mid 19th century: from French, from linge 'linen'.
The original lingerie had far more practical associations than the word has today, for it comes from the French linge ‘linen’ from Latin linum ‘flax, linen’. This also lies behind Old English linen, which was probably borrowed by Germanic people before the Anglo-Saxon invasion, and is also the source of line (Late Middle English) in the sense ‘cover the inside of’ from the use of linen as a liner. Flax could also be made into rope or string, and this is probably the source of the other line (Old English), for a straight mark or row.
- countable noun
- countably
- countback
- count-bishop
- countdom
- countdown
- countenance
- counter
- counter-
- counter-accusation
- counteract
- counteraction
- counteractive
- counteragent
- counterargument
- counter-attack
- counter-attacker
- counter-attraction
- counterbalance
- counterblast
- counterblow
- counterbore
- counterchange
- countercharge
- countercheck