Attire Meaning
/əˈtaɪɚ/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounOne's dress; what one wears; one's clothes.
nounThe single horn of a goat, deer or stag.
Sentence Examples
She is careless about her attire.
Tom changed into military attire.
What kind of women's attire does Tom like?
CEFR Practice Quiz
The invitation specified formal ____, so I wore a tuxedo.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The guests were asked to wear formal ____ to the charity dinner party.
Word Origin & History
The verb is from Middle English atyren, atiren, from Old French atirier (“to equip”), from a- + tire (“rank”), akin to German Zier (“ornament”) and Old Norse tírr (“glory, renown”). The noun is from Middle English atir, from the verb.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The latter sign, however, may have some heraldic significance, as Larwood and Hotten mention a London token of 1666 on which a horseshoe is represented within a pair of antlers or deer's attires."
— 1887, Miller Christy, The Trade Signs of Essex: A Popular Account of the Origin and Meanings of the Public House & Other Signs Now Or Formerly Found in the County of Essex, page 51:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The invitation specified formal ____, so I wore a tuxedo.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The guests were asked to wear formal ____ to the charity dinner party.