Definition of "shirtwaist" [shirtwaist]

• A woman's blouse or bodice styled like a tailored shirt. (noun)
• See shirtdress. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Over the shirtwaist was a natty jacket, elbow-sleeved, and to the elbows she wore gloves of imitation suede."
• "VON DREHLE: A shirtwaist is a woman ` s blouse, basically."
• "Her shirtwaist was a soft, feminine shade of lavender, trimmed with lace, but her skirt was no-nonsense black."