pajama

Other forms: pajamas

Pajamas are clothes made for sleeping in. When you're not feeling well, there's nothing better than putting on your pajamas, climbing into bed, and having someone bring you a cup of tea.

Pajamas is always plural — it's got that in common with words like pants, shorts, and trousers. Like these other plural clothing words, pajamas have two legs — they're like a loose, soft, and very comfortable pair of pants. This word started out in 1800 as two: pai jamahs, "loose trousers tied at the waist," worn by Europeans in imitation of traditional Indian Muslim clothing. The Persian root, paejamah, combines pae, "leg," and jamah, "clothing."

Definitions of pajama

1. noun

   (usually plural) loose-fitting nightclothes worn for sleeping or lounging; have a jacket top and trousers
   synonyms: jammies, pj's, pyjama

   types:

   sleeper

   pajamas with feet; worn by children

   type of:

   nightclothes, nightwear, sleepwear

   garments designed to be worn in bed
2. noun

   a pair of loose trousers tied by a drawstring around the waist; worn by men and women in some Asian countries
   synonyms: pyjama

   type of:

   pant, trouser

   (usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately