shirt-front

A man adjusts his crisp shirt-front before a mirror.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Front part of a shirt: "shirt-front" refers to the front section of a shirt, especially the stiffened or starched part covering the chest.
   • A detachable or stiffened front: In historical or formal contexts, it can mean a separate piece worn over the chest, such as a dickey or a starched shirt bosom.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • He carefully buttoned his shirt-front before the formal dinner. (The front part of his shirt, often starched, was adjusted.)
  • The old photograph showed him wearing a detachable shirt-front with a bow tie. (A separate, stiffened piece worn over the chest.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be a shirt-front": (informal, Australian Rules football) a forceful, frontal tackle made with the chest.
  • The player delivered a brutal shirt-front to his opponent. (A hard, chest-first tackle.)

Variants and Related Words

• Shirtfront (alternative spelling): the same meaning, often used in Australian football contexts.
  • The shirtfront tackle was considered legal in the game. (The chest-first tackle.)

Synonyms

• Bosom: the front part of a shirt, especially the chest area.
• Dickey: a detachable shirt-front worn for formal occasions.
• Pleat front: a shirt-front with folded fabric for decoration.

Idioms

• "to have a clean shirt-front": to be honest or have no secrets (rare, figurative).
  • He claimed to have a clean shirt-front in the scandal. (He asserted his innocence.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Shirt-front (someone): (verb, Australian football) to tackle an opponent forcefully with the chest.
  • He shirt-fronted the runner, stopping him cold. (He tackled him hard with his chest.)