Henley

noun

Hen·ley ˈhen-lē

variants or Henley shirt or less commonly henley or henley shirt

: a lightweight pullover shirt with a ribbed collar and a vertical opening at the neck fastened by a line of buttons

The black Henley shirt was strategically unbuttoned to reveal a chest full of bad-boy tattoos and a sizable gold medallion.—

Liana Satenstein

He's perched on a stool in a coffee shop in Hollywood wearing a Henley, a mildly whimsical hat, and a pervasively radiant sense of health.—

Zach Baron

But henleys also boast a feminine side. The women's shirts are often trimmed with lace, decorative buttons or ribbon.—

Marilyn Johnson

Etymology

from Henley on Thames, England, site of the Henley Regatta, a rowing event (the shirt resembles shirts traditionally worn by rowers)

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of Henley was in 1889

See more words from the same year

Style

“Henley.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Henley. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Henley

Hen·ley ˈhen-lē

variants or Henley on Thames

town in Oxfordshire, southeast central England, west of London population 31,744

Henley

Hen·ley ˈhen-lē

William Ernest 1849–1903 English editor and author

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