Usually refers to any style of (usually) tight-fitting cotton shirts primarily worn by men as undershirts. Any of the types of white t-shirt or tank top that you can usually find sold in packages by the men's underwear can be classfied as a wifebeater.

While the "wifebeater" is worn primarily by men -- and presumably got the name because it is most often depicted as being worn as outerwear by men who beat their wives -- lots of women have taken to wearing them too. This is particularly true in the case of the cotton ribbed tank top, which can now be found sold as outerwear for women as well as men, and which can also be found in several other colors besides white.

A white sleaveles t-shirt also referred to as a muscle shirt or singlet.

A men's sleeveless undershirt.

I think the TV show "COPS" had a lot do with the creation of this word. Every time they showed a guy getting arrested for beating his wife he was wearing one of those sleeveless undershirts.

An A formed white, tight, T-Shirt normally produced for men but also worn by women, intended for wear under shirts. Its reputation comes from those wearing the shirts while engaged in domestic violence.

White, ribbed, skin-tight tank top, most excellent for showing off a dude's pecs, shoulders, arms, underarms, armpit hair, and natural B.O. Leaves a sweet tan line when worn on a summer day.

Proper Noun: Strong lager, esp. Stella Artois with a tendency to induce wife-beating in the drinker. If the drinker is unmarried, this takes the form of generally directed rage.

1) Someone who beats his wife is a "wifebeater" but this isn't the main definition of the word when used to define an article of clothing.

2) The main definition for Slang Urban purposes A type of sleeveless undershirt, of the kind that used to be worn by almost all men in the 50's. If you watch the HBO Drama The Sopranos, you'll see Tony (the lead character) wearning this type of undershirt.

Also has associations with slovenly, unkempt, sloppy, etc. Someone who just woke up and hasn't combed their hair or washed up and appears at the door in a wifebeater shirt, scratching themselves, is a stereotypical picture that comes to mind.

This sleeveless undershirt with a deep round neck and deep arm openings has acquired the connotation of an article of clothing worn by someone who beats his wife -- perhaps because of the unkempt, slovenly nature of the garment when worn alone on a middle aged man with a gut, sitting in an easy chair, scatching at himself and demanding to be waited upon lest he smack around the person waiting on him.

3) The same shirt, worn as daywear or nightwear by slender young women as a kind of fashion statement. Meg Ryan has worn them in movies, as have other stars/starlets -- not typically worn by a well-endowed woman, it is considered cool for a woman ...

Pseudonym for a brand of strong lager called Stella Artois, sometimes associated with after closing-hours physical activity.