Are “shorts” plural or singular?
Often referred to as a ‘pair of shorts,’ shorts is a plural noun with no singular noun form. In English, nouns and objects that are made up of parts, pairs or pieces are usually referred to only as a plural, and have no singular noun form.
Other plural-only noun examples include jeans, pants and binoculars.
Shorts: singular vs. plural
You might say ‘the left short‘. This is uncommon. For the most part, shorts are only referred to as a plural noun.
What are shorts?
Merriam-Webster defines shorts as:
Trousers that end above the knee or reach the knee, often worn in hot weather or when playing a sport: tennis shorts. “She put on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt.“
Plural-only nouns
Shorts are only referred to as a plural noun since shorts are made up of parts, or pieces. Likewise, these other nouns are exclusively-plural. In English, we call them the plural-only nouns, and just like they sound, they’re only referred to as a plural. See the list:
Examples of sentences with “shorts”
She put on a pair of red shorts.
The shorts didn’t fit him properly.
I need to buy some new pairs of shorts for the summer vacation.
Origin of the word shorts
From etymology online on shorts (n.):
“Middle English short, from Old English sceort, scort “of little length; not tall; of brief duration,” probably from Proto-Germanic *skurta-“.
What’s the difference between they’re, their, and there?
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