Jotham, who has been much in the mountain latterly, being kept there by me and Hiram, has made a discovery, which he will not explain, he says, for he is bound by an oath; but the amount is, that he knows where the ore lies, and he has this day begun to dig.
hair shirt. 1. a garment of coarse haircloth, worn next to the skin as a penance by ascetics and penitents. 2. self-imposed punishment, suffering, sacrifice, or penance. Origin of hair shirt.
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of shirt): camise (a loose shirt or tunic; originally worn in the Middle Ages). daishiki; dashiki (a loose and brightly colored African shirt). dress shirt; evening shirt (a man's white shirt (with a starch front) for evening wear (usually with a tuxedo)). hair shirt (an uncomfortable shirt made of coarse animal hair; worn next to the skin as a penance).