gymslip

English

The Hyde Grammar School netball team, 1949, wearing gymslips (Manchester, UK).

Etymology

From gym +‎ slip.

Noun

gymslip (plural gymslips)

1. A sleeveless tunic with a pleated skirt, most commonly seen as part of a girl's school uniform.

   Synonym: tunic

   • 1968, Alan Sharp, The wind shifts, page 203:

     I've seen this child in her gymslip and school blouse […]

   • 2010, Jonathan Raban, Foreign Land: A Novel‎^[1]:

     She'd swapped the print dress for a plain white blouse and brown gymslip.

   • 2013, Jane Howells, Leehurst Swan School: A Centenary History‎^[2], page 16:

     Boarders wore navy pleated skirts with white blouses; day girls had brown gymslips, cream blouses and beige jumpers. Lisle stockings could be a nuisance, as were hats and gloves.

Derived terms

• gymslip mum