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

At Qipu Road Wholesale Clothing Market, wholesalers send shipments of sweaters, dresses and pants to retail stores all over the country.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We’ve all been walking around with gasoline on our pants,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The dorm is dark and heavy with sleep, but I can see she’s already dressed for the day in her thick wool sweater and waxed work pants.

From Literature

We’re panting as we climb to the top of the hill, above the Marmara.

From Literature

Coal twisted, trying to get loose, but only managed to get his pants further mangled.

From Literature

Related Words

• breathe heavily