shirt sleeves

Meanings

1. 1nounusually plural

   The parts of a shirt that cover the arms.

   Grammar: Normally plural: the shirt sleeves were too long.

   Patterns

   • roll up your shirt sleeves

   The shirt sleeves were too long, so she rolled them up.

   He ironed the shirt sleeves first.

   Ink stained the shirt sleeves of his best shirt.

2. 2phraseidiom

   Wearing a shirt without a jacket, usually because it is warm or the situation is informal.

   Grammar: Used after in: he worked in shirt sleeves.

   Patterns

   • in shirt sleeves

   It was warm enough to sit outside in shirt sleeves.

   The manager greeted us in his shirt sleeves.

3. 3phraseidiomfigurative

   Getting ready to work hard, especially in the idiom to roll up your sleeves.

   Grammar: Part of the verb phrase roll up your sleeves, with the figurative meaning get down to work.

   Patterns

   • roll up your shirt sleeves

   With the deadline close, the whole team rolled up their shirt sleeves.

Word forms

Common combinations

in shirt sleeves

The workers stood in shirt sleeves in the sun.

roll up shirt sleeves

He rolled up his shirt sleeves and started cooking.

long shirt sleeves

She wore long shirt sleeves to protect her arms.

rolled-up shirt sleeves

The mayor appeared with rolled-up shirt sleeves.

Synonyms and how they differ

sleeves

Sleeves is broader and covers any garment, while shirt sleeves names a shirt only.

cuffs

Cuffs are only the ends of the sleeves, not the whole arm covering.

Word family

sleeve noun

The part of a garment covering an arm.

shirt noun

A garment for the upper body.

sleeveless adjective

Without sleeves.

shirtsleeve noun

Another spelling of the singular.

Practice

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

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