plus fours

American  

plural noun

1. long, baggy knickers for men, introduced before World War I and worn until the 1930s for sports activities, especially golf.

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plus fours British  

plural noun

1. men's baggy knickerbockers reaching below the knee, now only worn for hunting, golf, etc

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Other Word Forms

• plus-foured adjective

Etymology

Origin of plus fours

First recorded in 1915–20; so called because four inches are added to the length of ordinary knickers to give the desired looseness

Example Sentences

He wears plus fours in a non-ironic way.

From Golf Digest • May 7, 2016

The most memorable in the first category were Richard Chai's roomy oversized plus fours; in the latter were Billy Reid's patterned "baller shorts," which were nearly as wide across as they were long.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2015

In a throwback gesture, Payne Stewart wore plus fours when he won the 1999 United States Open four months before his death in a plane crash.

From New York Times • Jul. 13, 2014

I’ve never played a round of golf that didn’t involve tiny windmills, and the only time I look at golf coverage on the sports pages is to admire the argyles and plus fours.

From Slate • Apr. 11, 2013

It was yellow slickers with writing on the back, college pennants, and plus fours.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey