shirtsleeve
noun
shirt·sleeve
| \ ˈshərt-ˌslēv
\
\
Definition of shirtsleeve
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the sleeve of a shirt
in one's shirtsleeves
or in shirtsleeves
: wearing a shirt but no coat
shirtsleeve
adjective
\ ˈshərt-ˌslēvz
\
\
variants:
or less commonly shirtsleeves
or shirtsleeved \ ˈshərt-ˌslēvd
\
\
Definition of shirtsleeve (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
: being without a coat
a shirtsleeve spectator
b
: calling for the removal of coats for the sake of comfort or efficiency
shirtsleeve weather
2
: marked by informality and directness
shirtsleeve diplomacy
Examples of shirtsleeve in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
In one of the closest towns, Kulusuk, the morning temperature reached a shirtsleeve 52 degrees Fahrenheit. — Seth Borenstein, The Denver Post, "Earth’s future is being written in fast-melting Greenland," 21 Aug. 2019 In one of the closest towns, Kulusuk, the morning temperature reached 52 degrees Fahrenheit — warm enough for shirtsleeves. — Seth Borenstein, Los Angeles Times, "Greenland’s glaciers are melting. It’s as if Earth’s refrigerator door were left open," 20 Aug. 2019 In one of the closest towns, Kulusuk, the morning temperature reached a shirtsleeve 52 degrees Fahrenheit. — Seth Borenstein, The Denver Post, "Earth’s future is being written in fast-melting Greenland," 21 Aug. 2019 In one of the closest towns, Kulusuk, the morning temperature reached a shirtsleeve 52 degrees Fahrenheit. — Seth Borenstein, Anchorage Daily News, "Earth’s future is being written in fast-melting Greenland," 20 Aug. 2019 In one of the closest towns, Kulusuk, the morning temperature reached a shirtsleeve 52 degrees Fahrenheit (10.7 degrees Celsius). The ice Holland is standing on is thousands of years old. — Washington Post, "Earth’s future in being written in fast-melting Greenland," 20 Aug. 2019 In one of the closest towns, Kulusuk, the morning temperature reached a shirtsleeve 52 degrees Fahrenheit (10.7 degrees Celsius). — Seth Borenstein, BostonGlobe.com, "Earth’s future is being written in fast-melting Greenland," 20 Aug. 2019 Sitting in the restaurant, Litwin pinches his arm through his shirtsleeve. — Soumya Karlamanglastaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, "He went to jail as a fake doctor. Now he’s a real one: The saga of Adam Litwin, MD," 7 Aug. 2019 At the headquarters of the National Broadcasting Company, in Rockefeller Center, the Central Control Room, from which N.B.C. coverage of the lunar landing was governed, was hot and stuffy, being packed with people in shirtsleeves. — Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, "East Eighty-eighth Street and East End Avenue," 25 May 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
They are often described in colorful, shirtsleeve terms: For most anglers a hand-size bluegill (6 to 9 inches, roughly, depending the size of one’s had) would be a keeper fish. — Gary Garth, USA TODAY, "Easy to find and fun to catch, bluegill are America’s fish," 25 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shirtsleeve.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for shirtsleeve
shirtsleeve
noun
English Language Learners Definition of shirtsleeve
(Entry 1 of 2)
: the sleeve of a shirt
shirtsleeve
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of shirtsleeve (Entry 2 of 2)
US
: not wearing a coat or jacket
: warm enough so that you do not need a coat or jacket
: informal and direct
See the full definition for shirtsleeve in the English Language Learners Dictionary