These four terms describe different sleeve lengths on clothing. Long-sleeved is the most general term, covering the arm down to the wrist. Short-sleeved refers to sleeves that end above the elbow, common in summer or casual wear. Sleeveless means the garment has no sleeves at all, like a tank top or a strappy dress. Three-quarter-sleeve describes sleeves that end halfway between the elbow and the wrist. For example, you might wear a long-sleeved shirt in winter, a short-sleeved one in spring, and a sleeveless top in summer heat.
Formed by combining the adjective 'long' (from Old English lang), the noun 'sleeve' (from Old English slīef), and the suffix '-ed' meaning 'having'. The compound has been used since the 1600s to describe clothing with full-length sleeves.