trouser

American  

[trou-zer] / ˈtraʊ zər /

adjective

1. of or relating to trousers or a trouser.

   trouser cuffs; a trouser seam.

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noun

1. a leg of a pair of trousers.

trouser British  

/ ˈtraʊzə /

noun

1. (modifier) of or relating to trousers

   trouser buttons

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verb

1. slang (tr) to take (something, esp money), sometimes surreptitiously, undeservedly or unlawfully

Etymology

Origin of trouser

First recorded in 1600–10; back formation from trousers

Explanation

A pair of trousers is a two-legged piece of clothing you wear on the bottom half of your body. It's easier to climb a fence while wearing trousers than a long dress. In the U.S., most people refer to trousers as pants, while in the U.K. pants are underwear. If you cut your trousers off above your knees, they become shorts, and if they're made out of denim, you can call them jeans. In Scotland, trousers are sometimes called trews, one possible root of the word. Another source may be the Gaelic triubhas, "close-fitting shorts."

Example Sentences

"No one's naive enough to think that mobile phones won't be going off in a blazer or trouser pocket, or even in school bags," McGinty said.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

"Wait," said Trump, before reaching into his trouser pocket, pulling out what appeared to be a folded $100 bill and handing it to Simmons.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

Joy Sunday felt it in an optimistic optic white off-shoulder trouser look with two long pieces trailing behind her.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 15, 2024

The mezzo-soprano Mildred Miller Posvar sang opera’s so-called trouser roles so many times that one of her daughters once told a friend, “My mommy is a boy.”

From New York Times • Dec. 24, 2023

She knelt before me and began yanking at my trouser cuff.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman