trews

American

[trooz] / truz /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

close-fitting tartan trousers, worn especially by certain Scottish regiments.

trews British

/ truːz /

plural noun

close-fitting trousers, esp of tartan cloth and worn by certain Scottish soldiers

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of trews

1560–70; < Irish and Scots Gaelic triubhas < Old French trebus breeches

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.

"Back in 1998, we had this outfit with tartan trews, a pinky lilac shirt, and these tartan waistcoats, which we were so proud of," Kennedy remembers.

From BBC • Sep. 11, 2025

They were joined by Sir Walter Scott dressed in trews as a sore rash prevented him from wearing a kilt.

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2022

And do you spurn your trousers, a multiplication of the already bifurcated trouse and trews?

From The Guardian • Mar. 25, 2016

His ill-fitting jeans and lumpy pockets said: "I'm just relaxing on holiday in these comfy old trews."

From The Guardian • Aug. 6, 2011

The man was dressed all in green: dusty green trews, green jacket, and a dark green coat.

From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023