Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Women's underwear.
- n. Archaic Linen articles, especially garments.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Linen goods; linen underwear, especially as used by women; also, collectively, all the linen, cotton, and lace articles of a woman's wardrobe.
Wiktionary
- n. uncountable Women's underwear or nightclothes, now especially when lacy or designed to be seductive.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. Linen goods collectively; linen underwear or nightclothes, esp. of women; the clothing of linen and cotton with its lace, etc., worn by a women.
WordNet 3.0
- n. women's underwear and nightclothes
Etymologies
- Borrowing from French lingerie. (Wiktionary)
- French, from Old French, from linge, linen, from Latin līneus, made of linen, from līnum, flax; see librevema.gifno- in Indo-European roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Several people have told me they have an issue with the word 'lingerie' in the title, and not so much the 'dirty Paki,'" the 34-year-old said.”
The Wall Street Journal: A Comedic Airing of Conservative Laundry
“I can remember when our girls wore pretty muslin gowns in summer, and sent them to wash; now they wear what they call lingerie gowns, dimity en princesse, with silk embroidery and real lace and ribbons, that cost a thousand dollars apiece and won't wash.”
“Of course, I can’t blame Orville really as the sight of three women in lingerie, running out on rainy night when it’s obviously cold and their lingerie is sticking to them isn’t something you see every day.”
“The Complaint also reports that the girls also posted “pictures of themselves in lingerie with dollar bills stuck in their clothes.””
“Last week, 12 female journalism students from Moscow State University posed in lingerie for a birthday calendar tribute to Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin.”
The Guardian: Thanks to plucky Norman Wisdom, it's now OK to fail
“Am I overreacting a little, and thinking too much about a show that still puts its star in lingerie every episode?”
'Dollhouse' recap: Momma's got a brand new bag of crazy | EW.com
“In this movie, she plays Ginger Knowles, a sexy woman in lingerie, a wiretap, and a gun.”
“A faint hint of a nipple through lingerie is as far as nudity goes.”
“According to Mexican newspaper El Universal, during the May 17 transmission of the game show, TV presenter Galilea Montijo and comedian Roxana Castellanos pretended that Sammy had an audition for a show [es], where they were asked to appear in lingerie and changed clothes in front of him.”
Global Voices in English » Mexico: Television Comedy Show Makes Light of Actor’s Mental Disability
“Good lingerie is definitely worth the money, it makes the clothes that people see look better.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘lingerie’.
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permanent foreign residents in English
Foreign words and phrases that are perfectly acceptable to use in formal English writing, but still maintain the aura of foreignness. They do not enjoy full citizenship, but remain "alien residents...
prima facie, a priori, a posteriori, avant la lettre, corpus delicti, l'esprit de l'esc..., sans-culotte, memento mori, gesamtkunstwerk, amour propre, guru, deja vu and 25 more...
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Tricky Words from French
Loanwords from French -- both established and wet behind the ears -- that are tricky to spell or pronounce properly.
trompe l'oeil, hors d'oeuvre, oeuvre, objet d'art, objet trouvé, contretemps, milieu, métier, mise en scène, mise en place, éclat, faineant and 64 more...
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window dressing
chemise, gossamer, tweed, pleat, fold, cuff, button, shirttails, ascot, cummerbund, velvet, silk and 104 more...
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Man likes these words
danube, schadenfreude, macabre, wanderlust, epiphany, azure, zeitgeist, cerulean, ennui, rhine, abyss, mulch and 130 more...
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savage215's Words
pipe, yankee, knickerbocker, tennis, plasma, magma, volcano, car, truck, television, tv, word and 445 more...
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stpeter's Words
abase, abasement, abashed, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abhorrent, abide, abject, ablation, abnegation and 3536 more...
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5-0
Hecko, words! I’m so happy I’ve found you. I want to keep you all and never want to lose you again. I hope you like it here.
amscray, thistledown, tine, tinsel, pungent, snarl, wail, lanky, viscid, dawdle, luminous, stow and 2719 more...
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gorgonglare's list
the best
zeppelin, ion, laconic, serendipity, cataract, saturnine, syzygy, cinnabar, bistro, lithium, paroxysm, scion and 694 more...
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doublej's Words
tuesday, bender, bint, alacrity, shimmy, spank, adroit, increment, veritas, subjugate, fiddle, calico and 4 more...
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R.S.V.P. by the Monochrome Set (borro...
ma cherie, lingerie, tout ensemble, entre nous, femme de chambre, rendez vous, tout-a-fait, corps de ballet, pate de fois gras, je ne sais quoi, vis a vis, consomme and 11 more...
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meleeman's favorite words
words I like.
melee, terroir, pinot noir, lingerie, foodie, chervil, chimes, gastronome, oenology, oenophile, gourmand, bouquet and 23 more...
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the dressing room - unmentionables
babydoll, boxers, camisole, chemise, corset, crinoline, farthingale, garter, girdle, knickers, merrywidow, panties and 4 more...
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Naughty Words
fetish, bonk, masturbation, lady garden, bawdy, orgasm, foreplay, lingerie, phallus, cunnilingus, grope, nether regions and 2 more...
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Tags featured on the "This or That!" ...
According to their website: ( this or that ):
THIS OR THAT! = BURLESQUE GAME SHOW
Zany, sexy fun from America's Favorite Burlesque Gameshow: "This or That!". Crazy contest...burlesque, tasseltwirling, BunnyLuv, Bambi, zany, risque, FanDance, pasties, dirtymartini, whips, Merkin, mermaid and 10 more...
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Textiles
A list from the 1911 edition of "Words: Their Spelling, Pronunciation, Definition, Application" by the Gregg Publishing Company.
aigrette, a la mode, Amazon, applique, armure, baize, balbriggan, balmoral, batiste, bedticking, bobbinet, buckram and 88 more...
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this girl
appliqués, stilettos, mascara, lingerie, visage, forlorn, faux-pas, kerfuffled, dainty, hallucinations, maudlin, clandestine
Tweets
Looking for tweets for lingerie.

yarb The dictionaries differ. Is lingerie especially, or exclusively, for women? Which? Am I entitled to call my undistinguished nethergarments "lingerie"? Oct 5, 2012
bilby Possibly the first French word that teenage boys learn to truly appreciate. Dec 1, 2007
reesetee It's because I don't like saying it. Dec 1, 2007
seanahan It's because of the voiced postalveolar fricative. Dec 1, 2007
reesetee I always feel as though I have marbles in my mouth when I say it. Nov 28, 2007
sonofgroucho Such a sexy word----or is it just me? Nov 28, 2007