sweater

From Middle English swetere, equivalent to sweat +‎ -er.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈswɛtə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈswɛtɚ/, /-ɾɚ/

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈswetə/
• Rhymes: -ɛtə, -ɛtə(r), -ɛtə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: sweat‧er

sweater (plural sweaters)

1. A knitted jacket or jersey, usually of thick wool, worn by athletes before or after exercise.
2. (US) A similar garment worn for warmth.
3. One who sweats (produces sweat).
   • 2007, John T. James, A Sea of Broken Hearts: Patient Rights in a Dangerous Profit-Driven Health Care System, →ISBN, page 29:

     The cardiologist who administered Alex's exercise stress test on August 21 observed during that test that Alex was a profuse sweater.

4. One who or that which causes to sweat.
   • 1906, Chesterton, Charles Dickens, chapter 3

     We learn of the cruelty of some school or child-factory from journalists; we learn it from inspectors, we learn it from doctors, we learn it even from shame-stricken schoolmasters and repentant sweaters; but we never learn it from the children; we never learn it from the victims.

5. A diaphoretic remedy.
6. (archaic) One who sweats coins, i.e. removes small portions by shaking them.
7. (Britain, obsolete) A London street ruffian in Queen Anne's time who prodded weak passengers with his sword-point.

• (for sense 1): sweatshirt
• (for sense 2): jumper, pullover, jersey, cardigan, wooly
• (for sense 3): perspirer
• (for sense 4): exploiter

• sweater on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

• wearest