VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

plimsolls

noun·EverydayBritishold-fashioned

Last updated

UK/ˈplɪm.səlz/
US/ˈplɪm.səlz/

“plimsolls” is a form of “plimsoll”.

Meaning

  1. nounpluralBritish

    Light canvas shoes with flat rubber soles, traditionally worn for school sports.

    Grammar: Usually plural: a pair of plimsolls. A single shoe is a plimsoll.

    Patterns

    • a pair of plimsolls

    We had to bring plimsolls for gym class.

    He tied the laces of his white plimsolls.

    The children left their muddy plimsolls by the door.

Word forms

singularplimsoll

Common combinations

a pair of plimsolls
She packed a pair of plimsolls for the trip.
canvas plimsolls
Canvas plimsolls are cheap and light.
white plimsolls
The team wore white plimsolls.
school plimsolls
The school plimsolls were kept in a bag.
lace up plimsolls
He bent to lace up his plimsolls.

Synonyms and how they differ

sneakers
This is the American word and now covers a wider range of athletic shoes.
trainers
Trainers is the modern British word and covers padded athletic shoes, while plimsolls are thin canvas ones.
pumps
This is a regional British word for the same shoe, used in some areas.

Word family

plimsoll noun
one shoe of the pair
Plimsoll line noun
a mark on a ship's hull showing the safe loading limit

Commonly confused: plimsolls or Plimsoll line?

plimsolls vs Plimsoll line

The Plimsoll line is a mark on a ship's side, unrelated to shoes but sharing the same name origin.

Practice

In British English, children wear plimsolls for ___.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “plimsolls”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words