Words / A2

UND-uh-wair/ˈʌndəweə/

Underwear is clothes worn next to the skin: a change of underwear, winter underwear, pack your underwear. Uncountable in this general sense (not “an underwear”). Pants in British English often means underwear; in American English pants are trousers. Clothes is the wider word. Do not write underwear when you mean under wear as two words, or unaware.

Meaning

Clothes you wear next to your skin, under other clothes.

Examples

• “Pack enough underwear for five days.”
• “Put the clean underwear in the top drawer.”
• “You will need warm underwear for the ski trip.”

Good to know

a change of underwear (uncountable). British: pants often = underwear. Mix-up: unaware.

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