polo shirt
- noun
- /ˈpoʊloʊ ʃɜrt/
- 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.
- Nick, wear khakis and a white polo shirt.
- She's wearing a yellow polo shirt, right?
- They would go with producers in Bolivia, for instance, polo shirts for shirting or Mexico.
Examples
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He's wearing a lime green polo shirt.
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I thought that ketchup stain would never come out of Joe's polo shirt.
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The man is wearing a green polo shirt.
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I like that polo shirt.
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When Dad was around, she wore polo shirts and cooked meat.
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Tucking in a polo shirt makes you look like one.
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She wore a polo shirt to prom.
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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
A piece of clothing for the upper body with sleeves and a collar
A casual shirt with a collar, a few buttons and short sleeves
A casual short-sleeved top worn for comfort on informal occasions
How Casual
Surface Forms
Morphology
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.