jersey

/ˈdʒʌrzi/

/ˈdʒʌzi/

Other forms: jerseys

Jersey is the soft, stretchy fabric that is most often used to make T-shirts. Because they're usually made from this fabric, the tunic shirts that athletes wear are also called jerseys.

Jersey is made from knitted cotton, wool, or synthetic material, and it's used for a lot of commercial clothing — everything from polo shirts to fancy dresses. The name comes from Jersey, a region of what's now the British Isles where jersey was first developed. The word was first used for athletic shirts in the 1840s.

Definitions of jersey

1. noun

   a slightly elastic machine-knit fabric
   type of:

   knit

   a fabric made by knitting
2. noun

   a close-fitting pullover shirt
   synonyms: T-shirt, tee shirt

   types:

   polo-neck, turtle, turtleneck

   a sweater or jersey with a high close-fitting collar

   type of:

   shirt

   a garment worn on the upper half of the body