cheongsam

English

T-ara wearing red cheongsams performing onstage in Hong Kong

Etymology

From Cantonese 長衫／长衫 (coeng4 saam1, “long robe”).

Noun

cheongsam (plural cheongsams or cheongsam)

1. A tight-fitting Chinese formal woman's dress, usually brightly coloured, patterned and/or embroidered, with a split at the thigh.

   Synonym: qipao

   • 2006, Shirley Jennifer Lim, A Feeling of Belonging: Asian American Women's Public Culture, 1930-1960, NYU Press, →ISBN:

     France Nuyen, and later Nancy Kwan, sexualized the cheongsam. Though people remember Kwan's movie portrayal of Suzie Wong, before her Nuyen earned fame and plaudits playing the prostitute with a heart of gold on Broadway.

   • 2011, Su Tong, Madwoman on the Bridge, Random House, →ISBN:

     A white velvet cheongsam! Except for people in movies, I've never seen anyone look as good in a cheongsam as she does.

2. (Hong Kong) A plain coloured, tight-fitting dress with a short split at the thigh, worn as a school uniform by schoolgirls.
   • 2010, Anthony Sattin, Hong Kong & Macau, →ISBN, page 160:

     [C]otton cheongsams are still the uniform at several colleges and secondary schools.

3. A long formal dress-like garment or robe worn by Asian men.

   Synonym: changshan

Translations

qipao — see qipao

Further reading

• cheongsam on Wikipedia.Wikipedia