Meaning & use
a dungaree
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Meaning
phrasecountable
A single garment consisting of trousers with a bib and shoulder straps, often worn as work clothes or fashion.
Grammar: Usually used in the plural 'dungarees' for the whole garment; 'a dungaree' is rare and sounds odd.
Patterns
- wear dungarees
- a pair of dungarees
She wore a pair of blue dungarees while painting.
The farmer put on his old dungarees before going to the fields.
In the UK, 'dungarees' often means overalls, but in the US it usually means jeans.
Word forms
| plural | dungarees |
|---|
Common combinations
- a pair of dungarees
- He bought a new pair of dungarees for gardening.
- wear dungarees
- The children wore dungarees to play in the mud.
- denim dungarees
- Denim dungarees are back in fashion.
Synonyms and how they differ
- overalls
- More common in American English for the same bib-and-brace garment; 'dungarees' is the British term.
- jeans
- In American English, 'dungarees' can mean jeans, but 'jeans' is the standard word for denim trousers.
Commonly confused: a dungaree or dungaree?
a dungaree vs dungaree
The singular form is rarely used; always use 'dungarees' for the clothing item.
Practice
In British English, what does 'dungarees' usually refer to?
Choose one answer.
In the UK, 'dungarees' are overalls with a bib and straps. In the US, 'dungarees' often means jeans, but the British meaning is overalls.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a dungaree”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.