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jockey shorts

jockey shorts

1 4.1
Short, tight men's underwear that fit close to the body
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɑːki ʃɔrts/
  • US
translation icon : calzoncillos ajustados
  • I have several pairs of comfortable jockey shorts that I wear during the summer.
  • socks and jockey shorts
  • wearing jockey shorts
  • pair of jockey shorts

Examples

  • He still wears Jockey shorts.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • "You could say that, too," he said, climbing into bed in his XXL jockey shorts.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • No, it's jockey shorts with little silver snaps on the side.

  • I'm not gonna discuss teal jockey shorts with my sister.

  • The pastel blue jockey shorts he had been wearing were pulled down just above his ankles.

    Blog text (23)
  • I've got 12 pairs of rosy-pink jockey shorts.

  • She knocks, and a moment later, the Tallest College Boy opens the door in his jockey shorts.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • I once bumped into a boy in his jockey shorts at one o'clock A.M., for Pete's sake.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • There is a sale on jockey shorts at Sears.

  • He prefers to wear jockey shorts when exercising for better support.

Synonyms

shorts
vsjockey shorts
1 1.0

Underwear for men that covers the hips and bottom

is a tight-fitting branded style rather than a general short underpant
briefs
vsjockey shorts
1.5

A type of short, tight underwear that covers the hips and buttocks but not the thighs

is the trademarked style name now used generically for the same short underpants
undershorts
vsjockey shorts
  • US
1.8

Short, tight underwear worn under clothes, usually by men

is the specific style name rather than the general underwear category

How Tight-Fitting

jockey shorts
  • US
1 4.1
briefs
1.5
boxers
5 1.0

Surface Forms

jockey shorts singular
jockey shorts plural

Morphology

jockey + shorts

The compound noun structure signals a type of 'shorts' so a learner can infer it refers to some garment; this makes the phrase partially compositional. However, the specific sense 'tight-fitting men's underpants' rests on brand/usage (Jockey) and conventionalization rather than the literal meaning 'horse-rider shorts', so the exact referent is not fully predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Jockey shorts comes from an underwear brand called Jockey that introduced a short, tight style of men's underpants. Because that brand made the style famous, people began to call any short, tight underpants 'jockey shorts', which is why the phrase now means 'short, tight-fitting men's underpants'.