Meaning & use
a cami
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Meanings
nouncountableinformal
A short, light sleeveless top for women, often with thin straps, worn alone or under other clothes.
Grammar: Countable: one cami, two camis. The phrase in the query "a cami" simply uses the article a before it.
Patterns
- wear a cami
- a silk cami
- a cami top
She wore a white cami under her open shirt.
I bought a plain black cami to layer under sweaters.
These camis are so light they feel like nothing in summer.
nouncountableinformal
A similar close-fitting sleeveless garment with a built-in bra, used as underwear or as a light summer top.
Grammar: Also countable; the plural camis covers several of them.
Patterns
- a cami with a built-in bra
- sleep in a cami
He packed two camis with built-in bras for the trip.
She sleeps in a cotton cami when the nights are warm.
Word forms
| plural | camis |
|---|
Common combinations
- a lace cami
- She chose a lace cami to wear under the sheer blouse.
- a cami top
- A cami top works well under a jacket for the office.
- wear a cami
- You can wear a cami alone on very hot days.
- a cotton cami
- He bought a cotton cami because it breathes better than nylon.
- layer a cami
- Layer a cami beneath a cardigan when the evening turns cool.
Synonyms and how they differ
- camisole
- The full, more formal word for the same garment; use camisole in writing or in stores, and cami in casual speech.
- vest top
- A British term for a similar sleeveless top, but it usually has wider straps and is not thought of as underwear.
- tank top
- Close in shape, but a tank top is normally outerwear with wider shoulder straps, while a cami is lighter and often worn underneath.
Word family
- camisole noun
- The full form of the word; a light sleeveless undergarment or top.
Commonly confused: a cami or camisole? a cami or kimono?
a cami vs camisole
This is not a different item but the complete word that "cami" shortens; "cami" is simply the informal clipping.
a cami vs kimono
The sounds are a little similar, but a kimono is a long loose Japanese robe, not a small sleeveless top.
Practice
Which sentence uses "cami" correctly?
Choose one answer.
"Cami" is a countable noun, so it needs an article in the singular: a cami. Option 1 wrongly adds s after a, option 2 drops the article, and option 3 invents the plural "camies" — the real plural is camis.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a cami”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.