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trousers

American  
[trou-zerz] / ˈtraʊ zərz /

noun

(used with a plural verb)
  1. Also called pants.  Sometimes 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.

  2. pantalets.


trousers British  
/ 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. US equivalent: wear the pantsinformal to have control, esp in a marriage

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of trousers

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

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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.

See Examples For:

The Loose Women presenter recounted a time where Kelly lifted something and ripped his trousers while live on air.

From BBC Jul. 27, 2026

"Athletes' bodies don't look their best in suits, they can look a bit bulky, so trousers can fall a weird way. This look is moving with the times."

From BBC Jun. 17, 2026

Holland wore black trousers, a black jacket, a red dress shirt and black tie while Zendaya donned a strapless black gown with a fringed skirt.

From Los Angeles Times Jun. 16, 2026

Poised behind a lectern, in a silver silk top and matching trousers, Kirk explained that feminism teaches women to “reject the very things that make womanhood unique.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 11, 2026

My hair was slicked back under a dirty slouch hat, and my dusty boots stuck out from beneath a ratty pair of men’s trousers.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

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