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Glite Dictionary
union suit

union suit

1 9.1
One-piece underwear with long sleeves and legs that you wear to keep warm
  • noun
  • /ˈjuːniən suːt/
  • Archaic
translation icon : traje de una pieza
  • She wore a garment resembling a white satin union suit, ornamented with a satin sash.

Examples

  • I kept waiting to see a devil dressed in red pajamas like my uncle Mario's union suit, dancing in the fires and poking people in the fanny with a pitchfork.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • I had to ride all the way to Galveston in my union suit.

    Coney Island (1943)

  • You ever notice how the snappy dialogue dries up... once a guy starts soiling his union suit?

    Miller's Crossing (1990)

  • I yanked off my red union suit and was determined to come to you, but Ma heard me, warmed me a cup of Ovaltine, and sent me back to my room.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • He dressed quickly, putting on heavy combat boots, jeans, and a torn flannel shirt over a union suit that needed washing.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Hey Tic-Tac, ever notice how the snappy dialogue dries up once a guy starts soiling his union suit?

    Fiction book (1990)

  • He was so comfortable in his union suit that he didn't want to change for the party.

  • After a long day, she decided to relax in her cozy union suit while watching TV.

  • On chilly winter nights, he prefers to wear a union suit under his pajamas for extra warmth.

Synonyms

bodysuit
vsunion suit
9 3.2

A close-fitting one-piece item of clothing that covers the upper body and sometimes the arms or legs

is mainly an undergarment rather than an item for outerwear or performance
long underwear
vsunion suit
  • US
5 2.2

Warm clothing that covers the arms and legs and is worn under other clothes

is defined as the original one-piece undergarment joining top and bottom

Antonyms

separate
3 6.0

A piece of clothing sold to wear with other items

Surface Forms

union suit singular
union suits plural

Morphology

union + suit

The combination of 'union' (joining/combining) and 'suit' (a garment) makes it reasonably clear that the phrase refers to a garment that unites upper and lower pieces, so learners can infer a combined outfit. However, the specific sense—an old-fashioned one-piece undergarment/long underwear—is not fully predictable (and 'suit' often evokes outerwear), so the meaning is only partially transparent.

Etymology

The name union suit comes from union, meaning 'joining', and suit, meaning 'clothes'. It is one piece that joins a shirt and pants into a single garment, so a union suit means a one-piece 'underwear' or warm layer that covers both top and bottom.