chemise

Etymology

From French chemise, from Old French chemise (whence Old English ċemes, cemes (“shirt”)), from Late Latin camisa, camisia (“shirt, undergarment, nightgown”), from Frankish *chamithia, from Proto-Germanic *hamiþiją (“clothes, shirt, skirt”) (whence also Old English hemeþe), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱam- (“cover, clothes”). Cognate with Old High German hemidi (“shirt”) (German Hemd), Old English hemeþe (“shirt”), ham (“undergarment”), hama (“covering, dress, garment”). See also shimmy, from a dialectal variant. More at hame.

noun

1. (historical) A loose shirtlike undergarment, especially for women.
2. A short nightdress, or similar piece of lingerie.
3. A woman's dress that fits loosely; a chemise dress.
4. A wall that lines the face of a bank or earthwork.