Singlet
/ˈsɪŋɡlət/noun
A lightweight sleeveless undergarment or athletic top.
Did you know?Singlet is a straightforward diminutive of single, and the same playful -let ending also gave English words like booklet and ringlet, turning ordinary objects into little versions of themselves.
Etymological Timeline
Late Old English
OE
sengle
“single; one at a time”
Middle English
ME
singel
“single, alone, not paired”
14th Century
English
singel + -et/-let
“a little single garment or underlayer”
18th–19th Century
English
singlet
“a light sleeveless undergarment, especially for men or athletes”
Modern English
English
singlet
“a sleeveless vest or athletic top”