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

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

Vardon also popularized knickers as a fashion statement; they’re usually known as plus fours, named because they are pants that come down to the knee, plus four inches.

From New York Times • Jul. 13, 2014

So I found a company in Palm Springs that made knickers, or plus fours, whatever you want to call them.

From Golf Digest • Jun. 9, 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