English

A wifebeater (sleeveless shirt)

Alternative forms

• wife beater
• wife-beater

Noun

wifebeater ‎(plural wifebeaters)

1. One who (usually as a repeated practice) beats his wife, or a husband prone to violence.
2. A kind of sleeveless shirt, often but not exclusively worn as an undershirt.
3. (uncountable, Britain, slang) Stella Artois, a brand of lager beer.
   • 2005, Conrad Williams, London Revenant

     And then we were walking back alleys, trudging through the drifts of chip papers, the bottles and empty cans of wifebeater […]

   • 2011, Pete Brown, Three Sheets to the Wind

     But Stella shouldn't really be drunk in pints the same way our dads used to drink bitter or mild that was effectively half as strong. Drink Stella in goblets like people do in its native country and, hey presto! It's no longer 'wifebeater'.

Synonyms

• (one who beats one’s wife): abusive husband
• (a kind of sleeveless shirt): A-shirt, athletic shirt, beater, muscle shirt, singlet (chiefly Australia, UK), tank top, vest

Translations

See also

• wife-beating question