knitwear

knitwear — noun

1. clothing such as jumpers, cardigans and scarves that is made by looping yarn tog

1.nounB1
Definition

clothing such as jumpers, cardigans and scarves that is made by looping yarn together using special needles or a machine

Example

The shop sells a wide range of knitwear including scarves and gloves.

uncountable: a wide range of knitwear

Aiko wore her favourite thick knitwear on the cold winter morning.

collocation: thick knitwear

Common collocations
  • thick knitwear
  • warm knitwear
  • cotton knitwear
  • woollen knitwear
  • lightweight knitwear
  • fine knitwear
  • handmade knitwear
  • designer knitwear
Synonyms
  • knitted clothing

    descriptive phrase rather than a compact noun; used in retail and fashion contexts

  • knits

    informal shorthand used mainly in fashion magazines and product labels

Grammar Patterns

knitwear + singular verb

Usage Note

Knitwear is an uncountable noun and cannot be used with 'a' or 'an'. To refer to a single item, say 'a piece of knitwear' or name the item directly (e.g. 'a cardigan'). It takes a singular verb: 'The knitwear in that store is very expensive.'

Common Mistakes

I bought a knitwear yesterday.
I bought a piece of knitwear yesterday.
knitwear is uncountable; use 'a piece of' or name the specific item.
Your knits are in the wardrobe.
Your knitwear is in the wardrobe.
knitwear is the standard collective term for knitted garments; 'knits' is informal and less common.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Knitwear is the standard, neutral term for any garment made by knitting — it covers everything from sweaters and cardigans to scarves and hats. 'Knitted clothing' is a longer descriptive phrase that means the same thing but is less efficient as a label; you will see it in product descriptions but not as a category name. 'Knits' is a shorter, informal alternative common in fashion journalism ('the latest autumn knits') and on clothing tags ('fine knits'), but it can sound casual or industry-specific in everyday conversation. If you are talking about the general category in a shop, 'knitwear' is the safest choice. For example: 'This shop has a lovely knitwear section.' (natural) vs. 'This shop has a lovely knits section.' (sounds like fashion-industry jargon).

knitted clothingknits

Common collocations

Nouns

  • knitwear designer
  • knitwear collection
  • knitwear label
  • knitwear industry
  • knitwear brand

Phrases

  • range of knitwear
  • piece of knitwear
  • item of knitwear

Prepositions

  • in knitwear
  • of knitwear

Etymology

Old EnglishModern English

Knitwear is a compound of 'knit' (from Old English cnyttan, meaning to tie or fasten with a knot) and 'wear' (from Old English werian, meaning to have clothing on the body). The word first appeared in the early 20th century as machine-knitting made mass-produced woollen garments widely available.