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plimsoll

plimsoll

1 8.6
A light cloth shoe with a rubber sole that you wear for school sports
  • noun
  • /ˈplɪm.səl/
  • UK
: zapatilla
  • I'm still dressed in my old football jersey and plimsolls.
  • wear plimsolls

Examples

  • They took your plimsolls, too.

  • I've never worn plimsolls in my life.

  • And he wears plimsolls, never shoes.

  • I get new shoes for just $20 to replace the hopeless plimsolls I've been using when not in my walking boots.

    Blog text (12)
  • I climb out and stumble around the plastic floors in plimsolls and an old football jersey.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • We may have met as we shook rain from sweaters and plimsolls in the dank hallway.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The young men ran along the edge of the pool, peering in, their muscular legs brown under their shorts, their plimsolls padding.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The first part of the gym session, consisting of gentle stretching exercises, was not too bad, but at the end, Donna's ankle was puffing out over her plimsoll rim.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • The students wore plimsolls during gym class to ensure they had proper grip on the gym floor.

  • After school, he changed into his comfortable plimsolls to enjoy a leisurely walk in the park.

Compounds

Plimsoll line
  • Specialized
1 9.0

A mark on a ship that shows the highest safe water level when loaded

Plimsoll mark
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A painted line on the side of a ship that shows how high it can be safely loaded

How Casual

flip-flop
35 2.5
slip-on
3 3.2
plimsoll
  • UK
1 8.6
sneaker
  • US
183 1.3
dress
115 1.0

Surface Forms

plimsoll singular
plimsolls plural

Etymology

The word plimsoll comes from the Plimsoll line on ships, a mark named after a British man, Samuel Plimsoll, who fought for sea safety and that showed the 'safe water level'. Because the shoe has a dark horizontal band like that line, people began to call the light canvas gym shoe a plimsoll, so plimsoll now means that simple sports shoe.