pantyhose
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of pantyhose
First recorded in 1960–65
Explanation
Pantyhose are sheer tights, a garment that snugly covers your legs. It was once very common for certain jobs to require women to wear pantyhose. You might call pantyhose tights or stockings — this word is uncommon outside of the US, and it's typically used for a particularly thin, sheer hosiery with built-in underwear. Pantyhose were invented in the 1960s, replacing old fashioned knee-high stockings that were held in place with garters. The name pantyhose is a combination of panty, undergarment or underwear, and hose, which is short for hosiery.
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.
While some lament the decline of suits and ties, others are relieved to ditch the starchy collars and pantyhose.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Air Force veteran Reality Winner smuggled out a classified report on Russian election hacking by tucking it in her pantyhose.
From Salon ● Jun. 30, 2025
And I needed some pantyhose, so I went to Saks Fifth Avenue, and I noticed that a man was following me.
From New York Times ● Feb. 15, 2023
Or who sold L'eggs pantyhose or Hertz Rent-a-Car commercials with O.J.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 13, 2022
I already have black pantyhose and my black combat boots.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
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.
