trousers

[ trou-zerz ]

noun

, (used with a plural verb)

1. Sometimes Also called pants. a usually loose-fitting outer garment for the lower part of the body, having individual leg portions that reach typically to the ankle but sometimes to any of various other points from the upper leg down. Compare Bermuda shorts, breeches, knickers ( def 1 ), short ( def 29a ), slacks.
2. pantalets.

trousers

/ ˈtraʊzəz /

plural noun

1. a garment shaped to cover the body from the waist to the ankles or knees with separate tube-shaped sections for both legs
2. wear the trousers informal.
   wear the trousers to have control, esp in a marriage US equivalentwear the pants

Derived Forms

• ˈtrousered, adjective
• ˈtrouserless, adjective

Other Words From

• trouser·less adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of trousers¹

1585–95; trouse (variant of trews ) + (draw)ers (in the sense “undergarment with legs”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of trousers¹

C17: from earlier trouse , a variant of trews , influenced by drawers

Example Sentences

The (very wealthy) de la Renta women wore bold colors, flared sleeves, full-bodied skirts and trousers.

From The Daily Beast

Gracie packed up her Wellington boots, long-sleeved shirts, and trousers, and flew to Caracas with a five-liter alembic still.

From The Daily Beast

“We will have to hear what he says,” said one as he smoothed out his trousers.

From The Daily Beast

Wearing pink pajama trousers, a blue T-shirt and purple sandals, she holds a cup of water for her youngest child to sip from.

From The Daily Beast

Think wearing yellow lipstick, lime-green nails, and a SpongeBob SquarePants jumper with no trousers.

From The Daily Beast

A pair of thin trousers and a shirt hanging down outside instead of being tucked in at the waist, and his toilet is made.

From Project Gutenberg

A little of the spurting blood had got on his dirty fingers, and he wiped his hands on the seat of his trousers.

From Project Gutenberg

This is then suspended from a button on the trousers so that the bottle rests against the skin of the inguinal region.

From Project Gutenberg

He reached far down into a trousers pocket and tugged to the light of day a roll that his fingers could not encircle.

From Project Gutenberg

The latter have a short coloured shirt underneath it, and again beneath that, large flowing trousers.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• knickers
• slacks