britches

American

[brich-iz] / ˈbrɪtʃ ɪz /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

breeches.

britches British

/ ˈbrɪtʃɪz /

plural noun

a variant spelling of breeches

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of britches

First recorded in 1880–85

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.

Revelers preferring a more classic look book an appointment with leather tailor Klaus Bensmann for customized, handmade britches fashioned from deer or cow leather.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 14, 2023

An important question: Is South Carolina getting a little too big for its britches?

From Slate • Feb. 18, 2023

“They’re not too big for their britches, they’re not on a pedestal — you can actually reach out and call them.”

From Washington Post • Jan. 13, 2023

Yes, it triggers my happy Thanksgiving memories of being at my grandparents house with my cousins and aunts and uncles, riding horses and standing by the fire until my britches got hot to the touch.

From Salon • Nov. 23, 2022

‘The way it all happened she can sue my britches off. All she could get would be the house outside of the mortgage. But the way it happened we don’t have any comeback at all.’

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

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