knickers

American  

[nik-erz] / ˈnɪk ərz /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. Also knickerbockers loose-fitting short trousers gathered in at the knees.

2. Chiefly British.

   1. a bloomerslike undergarment worn by women.

   2. panties.

3. British Informal. a woman's or girl's short-legged underpants.

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idioms

1. to get one's knickers in a twist, to get flustered or agitated.

   Don't get your knickers in a twist every time the telephone rings.

knickers British  

/ ˈnɪkəz /

plural noun

1. an undergarment for women covering the lower trunk and sometimes the thighs and having separate legs or leg-holes

2. a US variant of knickerbockers

3. slang to become agitated, flustered, or upset

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Usage

What does knickers mean? Knickers most commonly refers to women’s underwear.Knickers is primarily used in the U.K., where it may sound a little old-fashioned or childish—a lot of British people think of knickers as what grandmothers and little girls wear (as opposed to underwear). It is often used to intentionally imply such associations or to be funny.In the U.S., knickers was once used to refer to breeches, a kind of knee-length pants once popular for men and boys. But both the pants and the word for them are rarely used anymore.Example: My mum bought me some new knickers that look like they’re for my granny.

Etymology

Origin of knickers

1880–85; shortened form of knickerbockers, plural of knickerbocker, special use of Knickerbocker

Example Sentences

"There's no laundry service. I've run out of knickers, so I've been washing them in the sink - sounds bad but I have no choice."

From BBC

Ms Davies-Jones wrote she thought the routine screening would "just be five minutes of awkward conversation with the nurse at my local GP whilst taking my knickers off".

From BBC

“He is not going to get his knickers in a twist around Donald Trump’s bad manners,” said former Senator Carol Moseley Braun, Democrat of Illinois, who served in the Senate with Mr. Biden.

From New York Times

Davis made her movie debut in Tootsie in 1982, in which she first appeared in just her bra and knickers, to Dustin Hoffman’s memorable confusion.

From The Guardian

"We say we've got our battle knickers on," she said, detailing how the staff take residents' temperatures twice a day, enter anything they notice on handheld computers and take various precautions.

From BBC

Related Words

• shorts
• slacks
• trousers
• underpants