rompern.
/ˈrɒmpə/, U.S. /ˈrɑmpər/ 1. A person who romps (in various senses), esp. one who acts in a lively, energetic, or boisterous manner.
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society > leisure > entertainment > frolicking or romping > [noun] > frolicker
wantonc1450
friskera1549
a merry (or mad) grig1566
friskin1596
uptails1602
gamester1616
romp1678
romper?1780
frolicker1801
skylarker1818
larker1826
rollicker1837
larrikin1868
rompster1893
jive-ass1964
?1780 Festival of Momus (new ed.) 41 A Coquet is a butterfly, and often plays the romper, Sir, But a Lawyer plays a serious part, and the devil is his prompter.
1842 A. T. de Vere Song of Faith 206 Boarding-school rompers, academic praters.
1876 T. Hardy Hand of Ethelberta I. xvii. 173 To look wistfully at the sitters when romping and at the rompers when sitting.
a1918 W. Owen Coll. Poems (1963) 137 Three rompers run together, hand in hand. The middle boy stops short, the others hurtle.
1936 S. N. Cleghorn Threescore 24 Fanny was the greatest runner and romper of us three.
1946 J. Masefield Poems 399 A cry like every kind of bell Rang from these rompers as they raced.
1999 T. Lott White City Blue (2000) 116 She's terrific in bed actually, a real romper.
2. Originally U.S. Usually in plural.
a. A one-piece garment covering the trunk and all or part of the legs, worn esp. as a playsuit by a young child; (subsequently also) an all-in-one outer garment for a baby.
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the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > one-piece garment > [noun]
playsuit1609
romper1902
romper suit1904
diving-suit1908
bunting1914
teddy bear1917
leotard1920
Sidcot1921
sleeper1921
romper1922
pressure suit1923
boiler suit1928
maillot1928
mono1937
footy1938
all-in-one1939
siren suit1939
goonskin1943
anti-g suit1945
G-suit1945
jump suit1948
immersion suit1951
moon suit1953
poopy suit1953
dry suit1955
wetsuit1955
sleepsuit1958
Babygro1959
tank suit1959
cat-suit1960
penguin suit1961
unitard1961
bodysuit1963
shortall1966
steamer1982
1902 Friends' Intelligencer 30 July 560/3 (advt) Children's rompers—of gingham, with full back and yoke front; long sleeves.
1915 R. W. Lardner Bib Ballads 3 Hark! A voice from the easy chair: ‘He hasn't a romper that's fit to wear.’
1934 M. T. King Mothercraft iv. 39 Little woollen kicking-suits and pilchers, linen rompers, cool little cotton suits, and pants should be worn.
1974 A. Goddard Vienna Pursuit ii. 77 A toddler in pale blue rompers.
1988 E. W. Brown Interval in Afr. vi. 302 ‘Where is Vivian and the new baby’? I asked and handed her the package with the blanket, booties and rompers.
2006 Mother & Baby Aug. 160/1 (advt.) Choose from an exclusive range of cool baby t-shirts, tracky tops, rompers and bandanas for babies from 0–4 years.
b. An item of clothing of related design worn by adults: spec. (a) a fashionable, loose-fitting woman's garment combining esp. a short-sleeved or sleeveless top and wide-legged shorts; (b) (U.S.) a style of loose-fitting men's breeches or knickerbockers (now rare); (c) (British Services' slang) any of several styles of military uniform; (d) a light one-piece garment allowing easy movement of the limbs, worn as sports clothing. Also in extended use.
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the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > one-piece garment > [noun]
playsuit1609
romper1902
romper suit1904
diving-suit1908
bunting1914
teddy bear1917
leotard1920
Sidcot1921
sleeper1921
romper1922
pressure suit1923
boiler suit1928
maillot1928
mono1937
footy1938
all-in-one1939
siren suit1939
goonskin1943
anti-g suit1945
G-suit1945
jump suit1948
immersion suit1951
moon suit1953
poopy suit1953
dry suit1955
wetsuit1955
sleepsuit1958
Babygro1959
tank suit1959
cat-suit1960
penguin suit1961
unitard1961
bodysuit1963
shortall1966
steamer1982
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > [noun] > for specific people > for members of a body or association > naval, military, etc. > types of
regimentals1728
undress1748
regiments1759
regimental1764
dress uniform1774
kit1785
roast beef coat1802
butternut1810
frock-uniform1810
fatigue-dress1834
fatigue1836
fatigue-uniform1836
shirtsleeve order1854
grey1862
scarlet runnerc1864
square-rig1875
rig of the day1877
swagger-dress1901
trench coat1914
hospital blue1919
romper1922
suntan1937
battle-dress1938
army greens1945
mess kit1953
tiger suit1970
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > clothing for legs > clothing for legs and lower body > [noun] > trousers > types of > breeches > wide or loose
slops1481
slopper1549
gally breeches1567
gally hose1567
gaskin breeches1573
gaskins1573
galligaskin1577
galligaskin breeches1577
galligaskin1592
slivings1601
gregs1611
petticoat breeches1658
Rhinegrave1667
bushel-breeches1834
romper1922
1922 Moving Picture Stories 23 June 24/1 The dainty bit of femininity, by the way, wore a suit of gingham rompers.
1928 L. North Parasites 18 Many of them wore sweaters that would have put Joseph's coat to shame. And very long, very baggy knickers, Hollywood rompers.
1941 Amer. Speech 16 186/2 [British Army slang] Rompers, battle dress.
1943 ‘T. Dudley-Gordon’ Coastal Command 85 Sipping hot coffee as he took off his rompers (combined parachute harness and Mae West life-jacket) he told us of his first night raid.
1954 H. Macmillan Diary 24 Aug. (2003) 346 I left the F.O. at noon and arrived for luncheon at Chartwell just after 1pm. P.M. was in bed—so I had to wait 20 minutes till he had got up and put on his ‘rompers’.
1987 R. Hall Kisses of Enemy (1990) i. xiii. 86 On the field a game of cricket was in progress. Team dressed respectively, in hot pink rompers and crimson tracksuits were watched by a crowd of perhaps two hundred.
1990 D. Jablonsky Churchill, Great Game & Total War 145 In 15 minutes, Churchill, dressed in his ‘rompers’ was in the Intelligence Operations Room outlining his intelligence requirements.
2003 G. A. Dariaux Guide to Elegance (new ed.) 35 For the beach she would need a white piqué sun-bonnet, one-piece bathing suits or rompers, white sandals, and always a wool cardigan.
Compounds
romper room n. [after the title of the U.S. children's television programme Romper Room, first broadcast in 1953] originally U.S. = rumpus room n. at rumpus n. Compounds.
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1961 Hammond (Indiana) Times 5 Mar. f2/8 (advt.) Kitchens, baths, basements, romper rooms... Remodel now.
1983 Washington Post (Nexis) 27 June a3 We're trying to get away from the stereotype that support of day care means turning a third-floor abandoned storeroom into a romper room.
2007 R. Williams Future Perfect iv. 91 Imagine forsaking your car (converting the garage into a romper room or workshop) and having a vehicle..only when you really needed it.
romper suit n. originally U.S. = senses 2a, 2b.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > one-piece garment > [noun]
playsuit1609
romper1902
romper suit1904
diving-suit1908
bunting1914
teddy bear1917
leotard1920
Sidcot1921
sleeper1921
romper1922
pressure suit1923
boiler suit1928
maillot1928
mono1937
footy1938
all-in-one1939
siren suit1939
goonskin1943
anti-g suit1945
G-suit1945
jump suit1948
immersion suit1951
moon suit1953
poopy suit1953
dry suit1955
wetsuit1955
sleepsuit1958
Babygro1959
tank suit1959
cat-suit1960
penguin suit1961
unitard1961
bodysuit1963
shortall1966
steamer1982
1904 Nat. Mag. July 459/2 His usual dress was a ‘romper’ suit of brown gingham, duplicates of which are now to be found in any department store.
1922 Westm. Gaz. 20 Oct. 9 (advt.) An attractive romper suit for a small child is made of white washing material.
1964 C. Willock Enormous Zoo vii. 128 He wore his one-piece romper suit and his three-foot-wide straw hat.
1990 New Yorker 31 Dec. 79/1 A housewifely gingham romper suit with a white vinyl pinafore.
2001 Vogue Apr. 206 In a playful mood, she sends out showgirl romper suits in radioactive-pink satin.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.?1780