Meaning & use
smalls
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Meaning
nounpluralBritishinformalold-fashioned
Small pieces of clothing, especially underwear, that are washed regularly.
Grammar: Always plural; there is no singular form 'small' for this meaning.
Patterns
- wash your smalls
- a pile of smalls
He packed his smalls and a toothbrush for the overnight trip.
She hung her smalls on the radiator to dry.
The laundry basket was full of smalls and socks.
Common combinations
- wash your smalls
- I need to wash my smalls before the weekend.
- a pair of smalls
- He bought a pair of smalls at the market.
- clean smalls
- Make sure you have clean smalls for the trip.
Synonyms and how they differ
- underwear
- This is the modern, neutral word for clothing worn under other clothes; 'smalls' is old-fashioned and informal.
- undergarments
- This is a formal or commercial term for underwear; 'smalls' is much more casual.
- laundry
- This means clothes that need washing, not specifically underwear; 'smalls' refers only to small items, especially underwear.
Commonly confused: smalls or small?
smalls vs small
As an adjective, 'small' means little in size. 'Smalls' as a plural noun is a British informal word for underwear.
Practice
In British English, what does 'smalls' usually mean?
Choose one answer.
'Smalls' is an old-fashioned British informal noun for small clothes, especially underwear. The other options use 'small' as an adjective for size, not the plural noun 'smalls'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “smalls”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.