Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A sleeveless garment similar to an apron, worn especially by small girls as a dress or an overdress.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A sort of apron worn by children to protect the front part of their dress; a child's apron.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun An apron for a child to protect the front part of dress; a tier.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A sleeveless dress, often similar to an apron, generally worn over other clothes. Most often worn by young girls as an overdress.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a sleeveless dress resembling an apron; worn over other clothing

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[pin + afore (so called because formerly pinned to the front of the dress).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From pin +‎ afore. The pinafore was originally pinned to the front of a dress, as it had no buttons.

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Examples

  • The dress is silk dupioni and the pinafore is a fine batiste with french lace insertion and embroidery.

    Archive 2009-01-01 Gail 2009

  • For those ladies outside of the US, the 'Jumper' is more commonly referred to as a pinafore - most often a garment worn by schoolgirls (hence its virtual non-use by adult women).

    The Deconstruction of Women's Clothing 2007

  • The dress is silk dupioni and the pinafore is a fine batiste with french lace insertion and embroidery.

    Slipping Through My Fingers - Artist Book (2nd installment) Gail 2009

  • I can call my pinafore to testify to my good will in the work, for in ten minutes it was reduced to a perambulating bill of fare, presenting samples of all the refreshments going or gone.

    Hospital Sketches 1863

  • I can call my pinafore to testify to my good will in the work, for in ten minutes it was reduced to a perambulating bill of fare, presenting samples of all the refreshments going or gone.

    "A Day" from Hospital Sketches and Camp Fireside Stories 1863

  • I can call my pinafore to testify to my good will in the work, for in ten minutes it was reduced to a perambulating bill of fare, presenting samples of all the refreshments going or gone.

    Hospital Sketches Louisa May Alcott 1860

  • Their clothing was certainly simple enough, each and all wearing only a kind of pinafore or smock frock reaching from the neck to the ankle and made of very coarse osnaburg, but kept as clean and whole as the nature of their employment allowed.

    Ralph Rashleigh 2004

  • Bertrand and Geraldine lowly on buffets, while Hilary was perched on the top of a huge packing chest, enveloped in a pink "pinafore," and looking all the prettier because her brown hair was ruffled a little out of its usual immaculate order.

    Sisters Three George de Horne Vaizey 1887

  • We wear only modest feminine dresses and usually pinafore style aprons.

    Learning to Be a Home Keeper 2009

  • Kit held up the black seersucker halter dress with white dots for herself and the black lace cotton pinafore for Fancy.

    Slice Of Cherry Dia Reeves 2011

Comments

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  • I have experience in matters similar

    I can’t juggle I can’t knit a pinafore

    But I’ll listen to your tale and give you some advice.

    (The psychiatrist is in, by God Help the Girl)

    October 20, 2009