pyjamas

P3Y4J8A1M3A1S1
UK/pɪˈd͡ʒɑːməz/UK, archaic/paɪˈd͡ʒɑːməz/South Asia/pə(j).dʒɑ.mɑs/South Asia/pɑː(j)-/

A form of pajamas — Clothes for wearing to bed and sleeping in, usually consisting of a loose-fitting shirt and pants/trousers.

Less commonScrabble 21

Meanings

nounpyjamas pl (plural only, attributive pyjama)

attributive pyjama

  1. UKpluralplural onlystandardUK standard form of pajamas.

    They too revert to simpler, non-western clothes—saris, dhotis, and pyjamas.

    2010, Lucy Norris, Recycling Indian Clothing: Global Contexts of Reuse and Value, Indiana University Press, page 34
    3 more examples

    The performer opens one of the small drawers and takes out two sets of pyjamas.

    1973, John Clucas Cannell, The Secrets of Houdini, Dover Publications, US, page 231

    She wasn′t sure if Lena looked more surprised by her clobbering hug or the sight of her pyjamas on the bright New York City sidewalk.

    2007, Ann Brashares, Summers of the Sisterhood: Forever in Blue, page 178

    There was a Delhi embroidered waistcoat to slip over a milky white shirt, fastening to the right, ample and flowing; green pyjamas with twisted silk waist-string; and that nothing might be lacking, russia leather slippers, smelling divinely, with arrogantly curled tips.

    1901, Rudyard Kipling, Kim

Origin

  1. Classical Persianپایجامه
  2. Urduپائِجامَہ
  3. Hindiपैजामा
  4. Englishpyjamas

Borrowed from Hindustani (Hindi पैजामा (paijāmā) / Urdu پائِجامَہ (pāijāma)), from Classical Persian پایجامه (pāyjāma), archaic form of پاجامه (pājāma).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

pyjamas. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pyjamas

MLA

“pyjamas.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pyjamas. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pyjamas,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pyjamas.

Source: pyjamas on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.