bell-bottom

American

[bel-bot-uhm] / ˈbɛlˌbɒt əm /

adjective

Also bell-bottomed. (of trousers) wide and flaring at the bottoms of the legs.

noun

(used with a plural verb) bell-bottoms, bell-bottom trousers.

Etymology

Origin of bell-bottom

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

bell-bottom

Musicians illuminated stages with bell-bottom jeans, platform shoes and colourful headbands.

From BBC ● Dec. 19, 2025

Yet Carl, from flooffy head to bell-bottom hems, is the epitome of soft power and hardened ego.

From New York Times ● Apr. 6, 2023

The idea of water, he said, was expressed in the feeling of dripping — for example, the rippling feeling of a loose pair of bell-bottom trousers or even a ruffled black leather skirt.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 10, 2022

Bean, I was too teenage and image-conscious to wear anything that would have kept me comfortable, preferring my jackets cropped and my bell-bottom hems soaked in salt and slush.

From Slate ● Feb. 11, 2021

In one photo from that year, I’m rocking bell-bottom jeans with white flowers embroidered on them and a blue polo shirt.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023