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.
   to have control, esp in a marriage US equivalentwear the pants

Derived Forms

• ˈtrouserless, adjective
• ˈtrousered, 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

“In zero-gravity, clothes float on the body so oils and everything else don’t affect them. I had one pair of trousers for three months,” she explains.

From BBC

Growing up in Cyprus, Elena felt she was different to other girls - she liked maths, biology, and preferred wearing trousers rather than skirts.

From BBC

These pleated pinstripe corduroy trousers are a contemporary classic.

From Los Angeles Times

He said that on 1 September 2023 he attached a sling made of trousers and carabiners under the lorry near the tail lift.

From BBC

It is Wallace and Gromit's first outing since 2008's short film A Matter of Loaf and Death, and the first time they will face off against their nemesis McGraw since the 1993 Oscar-winning The Wrong Trousers.

From BBC

Related Words

• knickers
• slacks