# underwear

Pronunciation: US say "UN-der-wair" /ˈʌndɚˌwɛɹ/; UK say "UN-duh-wair" /ˈʌndəwɛə/

## Noun

1. Underpants such as boxers, briefs, or panties, and often bras, worn beneath outer clothing. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Boxers, briefs, panties, and sometimes bras worn under your clothes.
   - _Most of the suitcase was taken up by socks and underwear._
   - _The store keeps its underwear in the aisle next to the sleepwear._
2. Garments worn next to the skin, underneath the outer layers of clothing.
   - Simple: Clothing you wear right against your skin, under your other clothes.
   - _Silk underwear was prized for the warmth it gave without added bulk._
   - _The expedition packed several sets of insulating underwear for the climb._

## Origin

Formed from "under-" and "wear," with parallels in Dutch "ondergoed," German "Unterwäsche," and Swedish "underkläder."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/underwear (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).