knickers

American  

[nik-erz] / ˈnɪk ərz /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. Also knickerbockers loose-fitting short trousers gathered in at the knees.

2. Chiefly British.

   1. a bloomerslike undergarment worn by women.

   2. panties.

3. British Informal. a woman's or girl's short-legged underpants.

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idioms

1. to get one's knickers in a twist, to get flustered or agitated.

   Don't get your knickers in a twist every time the telephone rings.

knickers British  

/ ˈnɪkəz /

plural noun

1. an undergarment for women covering the lower trunk and sometimes the thighs and having separate legs or leg-holes

2. a US variant of knickerbockers

3. slang to become agitated, flustered, or upset

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Usage

What does knickers mean? Knickers most commonly refers to women’s underwear. Knickers is primarily used in the U. K., where it may sound a little old-fashioned or childish—a lot of British people think of knickers as what grandmothers and little girls wear (as opposed to underwear). It is often used to intentionally imply such associations or to be funny. In the U. S., knickers was once used to refer to breeches, a kind of knee-length pants once popular for men and boys. But both the pants and the word for them are rarely used anymore. Example: My mum bought me some new knickers that look like they’re for my granny.

Etymology

Origin of knickers

1880–85; shortened form of knickerbockers, plural of knickerbocker, special use of Knickerbocker

Explanation

Knickers are underwear, especially women's underpants. Your little cousin's favorite knickers might be her blue and red Wonder Woman knickers. Knickers, meaning underpants, is primarily a British term, although Americans will usually know what you mean if you use it. In the US, the primary, if outdated, meaning of knickers is "short pants." These old fashioned trousers, also known as knickerbockers or "breeches," were loose and knee-length, and worn by men and boys. Golfers and skiers commonly wore knickers in the early 20th century.

Example Sentences

Knickers is six feet four, and looks, in the picture, like he could clobber his bovine brethren.

From The New Yorker • Dec. 19, 2018

To compare sequence assemblies with the AL8/78 BNG map, the Aet v2.0 scaffolds were digested in silico with Nt.BspQI nickase using the program Knickers and aligned on the BNG map with RefAligner.

From Nature • Nov. 14, 2017

He compared the EU to a "badly designed undergarment", shouted "pants on fire" at the Remain campaign, before unleashing the inevitable battle cry: "Knickers to all those who talk Britain down."

From BBC • May 19, 2016

His Knickers May Be in a Twist That dark cloud hanging over the Richard Rodgers Theater on West 46th Street for the next week or so is not some freak of the weather.

From New York Times • Oct. 11, 2012

Knickers in their gymnasium and field work had become second nature to them.

From The Girls of Central High Aiding the Red Cross Or Amateur Theatricals for a Worthy Cause by Morrison, Gertrude W.

Related Words

• shorts
• slacks
• trousers
• underpants