sweater
sweater Lexical Profile
sweater Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A knitted garment worn on the upper body, typically with long sleeves, worn for warmth.
"She wrapped a thick wool sweater around herself to brave the freezing temperatures outside the cabin."
A person or thing that sweats or causes perspiration.
"The young horse was a heavy sweater, returning to the stable drenched after only a short gallop."
Word Nuance & Usage
In North American English, 'sweater' is the standard term for this knitted garment, whereas British and Australian English typically use 'jumper' or 'pullover' instead.
• Rhymes for sweater
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Late 19th century: formed from 'sweat' + '-er'. It originally referred to an employer who overworks and underpays staff (a 'sweater' running a sweatshop), but by the 1880s it became associated with heavy woolen clothing worn by athletes to induce sweating and lose weight before events, which evolved into the modern garment.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.