breeches
Americanplural noun
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trousers extending to the knee or just below, worn for riding, mountaineering, etc
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informal any trousers
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conceited; unduly self-confident
Etymology
Origin of breeches
1125–75; Middle English, plural of breech
Explanation
Breeches are an old-fashioned kind of short pants that end at the knee. These days, you're most likely to wear breeches if you ride horses (or if you like to dress up in 18th-century clothes). Riding breeches are designed to make horseback riders comfortable and streamlined. They're snug-fitting and usually meant to be worn with tall riding boots. Fencers wear a similar type of breeches as part of their uniform. From the 16th to the 19th century, breeches were ordinary adult men's clothing, sometimes also called britches.
Vocabulary lists containing breeches
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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Tolkien Reading Day, List 2
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Commonly Confused Words, List 5
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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.
Reynolds shows a flamboyant cavalryman, leaning on his sword, his red coat unbuttoned to show his cream waistcoat and breeches.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
Black Rod's uniform consists of black shoes, buckles, breeches and a coat, as well as silk stockings.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2024
In his memoir, “Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics,” Biden acknowledged discovering a polo mallet, riding breeches and other markers of a privileged life in his father’s closet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2024
It’s also not the kind of story you tell if you plan to ally yourself with the boy who fouled his breeches.
From New York Times ● Apr. 2, 2024
“Then you might have a thought for somebody else!” snapped Nat, slapping the water out of his dripping breeches.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
