sweater
ˈswɛtər
noun
Origin
English
sweat + -er — something or someone associated with sweating
Overview
Meaning Now
- A knitted garment worn on the upper body for warmth; a jumper or pullover.
- In North American usage, a cardigan or similar warm knitted top, often with sleeves.
Literal older meaning
Originally, something that causes sweating; later, a knitted garment worn for warmth.
Language path
English → Modern English
Earliest form
sweater
Earliest period
Late 18th century
Journey
The word arose in English from the old verb sweat. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it could refer both to a person who sweats and to clothing used in exercise, labor, or sports to make the body sweat. The modern sense as a warm knitted garment became the standard everyday meaning.
Evolution
- Old English
swǣtan / swætan
“to sweat”
Ancient Germanic verb underlying later English sweat.
- Middle English
sweaten / swete
“to sweat”
Later English forms continue the inherited verb.
- Late 18th century
sweater
“a person who sweats; a garment that induces sweating”
The word first appears in the sense of a person or thing that makes sweat, especially in labor or training contexts.
- 19th century
sweater
“a knitted garment worn for warmth”
The clothing sense became dominant and spread widely in modern English.
Connections
Word parts
sweat
root
sweat
-er
suffix
one associated with; one who does
Related across languages
German
schwitzen
to sweat
Dutch
zweten
to sweat
Swedish
svettas
to sweat
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.