Clothing worn next to the skin under outer garments, typically including items like bras, panties, boxers, or undershirts. These garments provide comfort, hygiene, and modesty.
Compound word from 'under' and 'wear,' first appearing in English in the mid-19th century. The concept replaced earlier terms like 'undergarments' or 'unmentionables,' reflecting changing social attitudes toward discussing intimate clothing.
The Victorians were so modest about underwear that they called it 'unmentionables' or 'inexpressibles'—they literally couldn't say the words! The frank term 'underwear' was actually considered quite bold and modern when it first appeared in the 1800s.
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