pant

¹ American  

[pant] / pænt /

adjective

1. of or relating to pants.

   pant cuffs.

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noun

1. pant leg.

2. pants.

pant- ² American  

1. variant of panto- before a vowel.

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pant ³ American  

[pant] / pænt /

verb (used without object)

1. to breathe hard and quickly, as after exertion.

   Synonyms:

   vibrate, throb, pulse, pulsate, pound, blow, wheeze, puff, heave

2. to gasp, as for air.

3. to long with breathless or intense eagerness; yearn.

   to pant for revenge.

   Synonyms:

   covet, thirst, hunger, hanker

4. to throb or heave violently or rapidly; palpitate.

5. to emit steam or the like in loud puffs.

6. Nautical. (of the bow or stern of a ship) to work with the shock of contact with a succession of waves.

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verb (used with object)

1. to breathe or utter gaspingly.

noun

1. the act of panting.

2. a short, quick, labored effort at breathing; gasp.

3. a puff, as of an engine.

4. a throb or heave, as of the breast.

pant British  

/ pænt /

verb

1. to breathe with noisy deep gasps, as when out of breath from exertion or excitement

2. to say (something) while breathing thus

3. to have a frantic desire (for); yearn

4. (intr) to pulsate; throb rapidly

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noun

1. the act or an instance of panting

2. a short deep gasping noise; puff

Usage

What does pant- mean? Pant- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “all.” It is occasionally used in a variety of scientific and technical terms.Pant- comes from the Greek pâs, meaning “all.” The equivalent form derived from Latin is omni-, as in omnivore, which comes from Latin omnis, “all.”What are variants of pan-?Pant- is a variant of panto-, which loses its -o- when combined with words or word elements beginning with vowels. Another common variant of pant- is pan-, as in panhuman.Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles on pan- and panto-.

Related Words

Pant, gasp suggest breathing with more effort than usual. Pant suggests rapid, convulsive breathing, as from violent exertion or excitement: to pant after running for the train. Gasp suggests catching one's breath in a single quick intake, as from amazement, terror, and the like, or a series of such quick intakes of breath, as in painful breathing: to gasp with horror; to gasp for breath.

Other Word Forms

• pantingly adverb
• unpanting adjective

Etymology

Origin of pant¹

First recorded in 1890–95; singular of pants

Origin of pant¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb panten, from Old French pant(a)is(i)er, from unattested Vulgar Latin phantasiāre “to have visions,” from Greek phantasioûn “to have or form images”; fantasy

Example Sentences

Since then, her fashion has shifted to more pants, suits and heels.

From The Wall Street Journal

Elsewhere in the KeyBanc note, Owens praised some of its the company’s recent launches, like its Unrestricted Power line, and said she liked the comfort and stretch of Lululemon’s new EasyFive line pants.

From MarketWatch

He rocked a pair of red pants in a way you or I cannot rock a pair of red pants.

From The Wall Street Journal

After pulling on plaid pajama pants and an oversized tank top—it’s not as soft as my Middlebury t-shirt, but it will have to do—I head to the sofa bed.

From Literature

He was panting and trembling, and every now and then a low moan slipped from his lips.

From Literature

Related Words

• breathe heavily