suspender

[suh-spen-der]

noun

1. especially British, braces. Usually suspenders. adjustable straps or bands worn over the shoulders with the ends buttoned or clipped to the waistband of a pair of trousers or a skirt to support it.

2. British.,  garter.

3. a hanging cable or chain in a suspension bridge connecting the deck with the suspension cable or chain.

4. a person or thing that suspends.

suspender

/ səˈspɛndə /

noun

1. (often plural)

   1. an elastic strap attached to a belt or corset having a fastener at the end, for holding up women's stockings

   2. US and Canadian equivalent: garter. a similar fastener attached to a garter worn by men in order to support socks

2. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): braces. (plural) a pair of straps worn over the shoulders by men for holding up the trousers

3. a person or thing that suspends, such as one of the vertical cables that carries the deck in a suspension bridge

Other Word Forms

• suspenderless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of suspender¹

1515–25; 1800–10, suspender for def. 1; suspend + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Looped into the traction and stability systems and the smartest brakes on the planet, the Turbo S’s high-voltage suspenders represent a major advance in client preservation technology.

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She ushered, worked the box office, read stage directions for new plays — she had days jobs, too, like working at TGI Fridays — “By the way, they just offered me suspenders since I never got them.”

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I wouldn’t expect the King auction to fetch similarly high prices, but you can’t measure a man by what people are willing to pay for his suspenders.

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The character White played from 1989 to 1998 on the wholesome hit sitcom “Family Matters” defined the Black nerd for TV watchers: saddle shoes, suspenders, thick glasses, high, nasal voice.

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It was a racy variation on a schoolboy’s shorts, with suspenders rising between the cleavage.

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Related Words

• ally 
• defender 
• follower 
• patron 
• proponent 
• support