cardigan
KAH-dih-guhn
Cardigan (noun) means a knitted sweater that opens down the front and fastens with buttons or a zipper. Example: “She pulled on a cardigan as the evening turned cool.”
noun
1
A knitted sweater that opens down the front and fastens with buttons or a zipper.
"Suzette Sundae, a musician wearing a fifties-style swing dress and a white cardigan over her tattoos, said that she ran a vintage-clothing store in Park Slope. When the store’s traffic fell off, she had Airbnb-ed her home."
— Nathan Heller, Is the Gig Economy Working? (2017)
"She pulled on a cardigan as the evening turned cool."
How to use cardigan
Learner’s notes
Easily confused with
Common pairings
knitted cardigan
button-up cardigan
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Word forms
- Plural
- cardigans
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She pulled on a _____ as the evening turned cool.
Etymology
Named after James Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan, a British military commander of the 1800s.
Class of 1800
cardigan joined the language around 1800.
See the full Class of 1800 →
Rhymes for cardigan
Madigan
hooligan
Michigan
Corrigan
Gilligan
Milligan
Mulligan
Kerrigan
Harrigan
Hannigan
ptarmigan
Brannigan
See all rhymes for cardigan →
Frequently asked questions
What does “cardigan” mean?
The word “cardigan” means a knitted sweater that opens down the front and fastens with buttons or a zipper.
How do you pronounce “cardigan”?
“Cardigan” is pronounced KAH-dih-guhn (/ˈkɑːdɪɡən/ in IPA).
How do you use “cardigan” in a sentence?
Here is “cardigan” used in a sentence: “She pulled on a cardigan as the evening turned cool.”
What part of speech is “cardigan”?
“Cardigan” is a noun.
Where does the word “cardigan” come from?
The word “cardigan” dates back to around 1800. Named after James Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan, a British military commander of the 1800s.
Is “cardigan” a common word?
“Cardigan” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
