Meaning & use
nightgown
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Meanings
nouncountable
A loose, comfortable piece of clothing that a woman or girl wears in bed.
Grammar: A countable noun, so it takes a/an and a plural: a nightgown, two nightgowns.
Patterns
- wear a nightgown
- a cotton/silk nightgown
- put on a nightgown
She packed a warm nightgown for the trip to the mountains.
He bought his mother a soft cotton nightgown for her birthday.
The little girl ran downstairs in her nightgown to see the snow.
nouncountableold-fashioned
A long loose gown worn in bed by a man in older use.
Grammar: Also countable; this older use is now rare and usually refers to historical clothing.
Patterns
- a man's nightgown
In the old painting, the merchant is shown in a long nightgown and cap.
Victorian men sometimes wore a nightgown over their nightshirt in winter.
Word forms
| plural | nightgowns |
|---|
Common combinations
- a long nightgown
- She prefers a long nightgown in winter.
- a cotton nightgown
- He bought her a cotton nightgown that washes well.
- wear a nightgown
- The children wear nightgowns, not pajamas.
- in her nightgown
- She answered the door in her nightgown.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- nightwear noun
- Clothing worn in bed, including nightgowns and pajamas.
- nightshirt noun
- A long shirt worn in bed, similar to a nightgown but usually for men.
Commonly confused: nightgown or nightclub? nightgown or gown?
nightgown vs nightclub
A place to dance and drink at night; a nightgown is clothing for sleeping.
nightgown vs gown
A gown can be a formal dress or a loose robe; a nightgown is specifically for bed.
Practice
Which sentence uses nightgown correctly?
Choose one answer.
A nightgown is clothing worn in bed, so 'put on his nightgown before going to sleep' fits. The office sentence confuses it with everyday clothes, and the other options use it as a vehicle or food, which is impossible.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nightgown”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.