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khaki shirt

khaki shirt

1 2.2
A shirt that is light brown and made of strong cotton for work or uniforms
  • noun
  • /ˈkɑːki ʃɜrt/
translation icon : camisa caqui
  • The soldiers were all dressed in khaki shirts and matching trousers as they prepared for their mission.
  • sleeve khaki shirt
  • khaki shirt and trousers
  • wearing a khaki shirt

Examples

  • The rolled-back sleeves of his khaki shirt and his shirt front were stained with spreading drops of clean oil.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • He dressed in a khaki shirt and shorts and went looking for Albie.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • So next I got this khaki shirt and it's quite a long shirt.

  • The driver went to the Director of the Mission and clenched the front of his khaki shirt in both of his hands.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Hilmi was wearing a khaki shirt and trousers.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • He wore a khaki shirt and trousers.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • "He had on a short-sleeve khaki shirt and khaki pants.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • When she came into the kitchen, he was sitting there with his knapsacks and cooler, wearing a clean khaki shirt with the orange suspenders running over it.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • When I had dressed in a khaki shirt and twill trousers, I went downstairs to find Vivian clearing breakfast dishes from the table.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • He wears his usual heavy long-sleeved khaki shirt and pants, with his full-face shield hooked on his arm.

    Fiction book (1998)

Synonyms

T-shirt
vskhaki shirt
400 1.0

A shirt with no collar and short sleeves usually made of cotton and worn casually

is light brown, made of sturdy cotton, and often worn as part of uniforms
tee
vskhaki shirt
  • Informal
21 1.0

A short-sleeved cotton shirt with no collar worn for casual use

is a durable light brown work garment often used in military or service contexts
tee shirt
vskhaki shirt
7 1.0

A casual shirt with short sleeves that fits close to the body

is dyed light brown and built for durability and uniform or military use

How Casual

T-shirt
400 1.0
khaki shirt
1 2.2
polo shirt
9 1.4
dress shirt
9 2.7

Surface Forms

khaki shirt singular
khaki shirts plural

Morphology

khaki + shirt

The meaning 'a shirt that is khaki-colored' is directly and compositionally derived from the adjective 'khaki' (a yellowish-brown color) modifying 'shirt' (a collared upper-body garment). Color + clothing combinations are cross-linguistically common and follow standard adjective + noun patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand this MWE.

Etymology

The noun khaki shirt comes from the word khaki, which in an Indian language means 'dust' or 'dust-coloured'. Soldiers chose this colour to hide dirt, so a khaki shirt became the name for a tan, practical shirt used as a 'uniform' or for casual wear.