blouse
UK[blaʊz]US[blaʊs]
n
A loose piece of clothing like a shirt, worn by women and girls.
Etymology
The word 'blouse' entered English in the early 19th century as a direct borrowing from French. The French term originally referred to a workman's or peasant's loose smock. Its earlier history is somewhat obscure but is often traced to the Provençal 'lausa', meaning a woolen blouse, or possibly linked to the name of the town of Blois. The semantic journey reflects a shift from a specific garment for laborers to a general term for a woman's shirt-like garment, illustrating a common pattern where functional clothing is adopted into mainstream fashion.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from French. Its spelling and form are borrowed as a whole unit.
Examples
She wore a silk blouse with her tailored trousers.
The uniform required a white blouse and a navy blue skirt.
He borrowed one of her blouses for the costume party.