Meaning & use
camis
Last updated
“camis” is a form of “cami”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounpluralinformal
Plural of cami, light sleeveless tops with thin straps, worn alone or under other clothes.
Grammar: Plural of cami: I bought two camis.
Patterns
- wear camis under something
- a pack of camis
She packed three camis for the hot weekend.
I wear black camis under my work shirts.
The store has a sale on cotton camis.
Word forms
| singular | cami |
|---|
Common combinations
- lace camis
- She bought two lace camis for summer.
- cotton camis
- Cotton camis feel cool in warm weather.
- layer camis under
- You can layer camis under sweaters.
- a pack of camis
- I picked up a pack of camis for the trip.
- silk camis
- The silk camis were on a high shelf.
Synonyms and how they differ
- camisoles
- Camisoles is the full word, a little more formal than camis, which is the everyday shortened form.
- tank tops
- Tank tops usually have wider straps and are thicker, whereas camis have thin straps and are often smoother or silkier.
- vest tops
- Vest tops is the British term for a sleeveless top, but camis suggests thinner straps and lighter fabric.
Word family
Commonly confused: camis or camos?
camis vs camos
Camos is a short form of camouflage clothing, and it has nothing to do with light sleeveless tops.
Practice
She put on two thin ___ under her cardigan to stay cool.
Choose one answer.
Camis are light, thin-strapped tops that fit under other clothes. Coats and boots would not fit under a cardigan, and scarves are not worn to stay cool in the same way.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “camis”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.