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polo shirt

polo shirt

9 1.4
A short-sleeved shirt with a collar and a few buttons often made of cotton
  • noun
  • /ˈpoʊloʊ ʃɜrt/
translation icon : camisa polo
  • Like a child, he wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his polo shirt as she stepped into the marble foyer.
  • polo shirt and jeans
  • wear a polo shirt
  • polo shirt and pants

Nick, wear khakis and a white polo shirt.

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Examples

  • He's wearing a lime green polo shirt.

  • I thought that ketchup stain would never come out of Joe's polo shirt.

  • The man is wearing a green polo shirt.

  • I like that polo shirt.

  • When Dad was around, she wore polo shirts and cooked meat.

  • Tucking in a polo shirt makes you look like one.

  • She wore a polo shirt to prom.

  • Got me some long pants, a neat little polo shirt, and a pair of penny loafers.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • The man wore an open-necked polo shirt, and the woman wore a casual sweater.

    Academic text (1993)
  • The man is wearing a polo shirt with bright colors for the summer.

Synonyms

shirt
vspolo shirt
1.0

A piece of clothing for the upper body with sleeves and a collar

is narrower, referring to a collared short-sleeved casual type with placket buttons
polo
vspolo shirt
21 1.4

A casual shirt with a collar, a few buttons and short sleeves

is the same but specifies button number and typical cotton fabric
sport shirt
vspolo shirt
1 1.3

A casual short-sleeved top worn for comfort on informal occasions

is more specific about placket neckline and usually two or three buttons

How Casual

T-shirt
400 1.0
polo shirt
9 1.4
dress shirt
9 2.7

Surface Forms

polo shirt singular
polo shirts plural

Morphology

polo + shirt

The meaning is compositional: 'polo' specifies a style/association (originating from the sport or the established garment type) and 'shirt' names the garment, so together they denote a subtype of shirt. A B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer this is a kind of shirt associated with polo or made in that style; the modifier+noun pattern is transparent and common across languages.

Etymology

Polo shirt: The name polo shirt comes from the sport 'polo', because polo players wore comfortable shirts with a collar and a short row of buttons so the collar would not flap while they played. The sleeves were short to make movement easier. That's why today a polo shirt means a smart, casual collared shirt.