trousers
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈtɹaʊzəz/
ipa: /ˈtɹaʊzɚz/
rhymes: -aʊzəz
rhymes: -aʊzə(ɹ)z
Forms: form: trouser
Etymology: Attested since the 1610s, from the earlier form trouzes (attested since the 1580s), extended from trouse (1570s), with plural ending typical of things in pairs, from Middle Irish triubus (“close-fitting shorts”), from Old Irish tribus, of uncertain origin. The unexplained intrusive second -r- is perhaps due to the influence of drawers. Doublet of trews (“trousers”).
Old Irish tribus is probably a borrowing of Anglo-Norman tribuz, trebuz, from Old French trebus, from Old Occitan trebucs, trabucs, from Late Latin trabrugi, tribuces, tubruci (“leg-coverings”), from an early Germanic language, likely Gothic *𐌸𐌹𐌿𐌷𐌱𐍂𐍉𐌺𐍃 (*þiuhbrōks), from Proto-Germanic *þeuhabrōks (“loincloth, trousers”), from Proto-Germanic *þeuhą (“thigh”) + *brōks (“leggings, trousers”), thus making it by surface analysis, thigh + breeches. Cognate with Old High German diohbruoh (“loincloth, trousers”), whence obsolete German Diechbruch (“short legwear, knee breeches, loincloth”).
Senses: examples: text: The trousers need to be shortened.
text: It was April 22, 1831, and a young man was walking down Whitehall in the direction of Parliament Street. He wore shepherd's plaid trousers and the swallow-tail coat of the day, with a figured muslin cravat wound about his wide-spread collar.
ref: 1906, Stanley J[ohn] Weyman, “The Dissolution”, in Chippinge Borough, New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co., →OCLC, page 3:
text: The effect the apparition had on me was to make me start violently, and we all know what happens when you start violently while holding a full cup of tea. The contents of mine flew through the air and came to rest on the trousers of Aubrey Upjohn, MA, moistening them to no little extent. Indeed, it would scarcely be distorting the facts to say that he was now not so much wearing trousers as wearing tea. [...] "I see you have not changed since you were with me at Malvern House," he said in an extremely nasty voice, dabbing at the trousers with a handkerchief. [...] "Frightfully sorry," I said. "Too late to be sorry now. A new pair of trousers ruined. It is doubtful if anything can remove the stain of tea from white flannel."
ref: 1960, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, chapter XIX, in Jeeves in the Offing, London: Herbert Jenkins, →OCLC:
synonyms: word: breeches
word: britches
word: kecks
word: pants
word: strides
glosses: An article of clothing that covers the part of the body between the waist and the ankles or knees, and is divided into a separate part for each leg.
Synonyms: word: breeches
word: breeks
word: britches
word: cacks
word: gaskins
word: hose
word: hosen
word: inexpressibles
word: kecks
word: lally-drags
word: pair of trousers
word: pant
topics: fashion
lifestyle
word: pants
word: strides
word: trews
word: trousers
word: trucks
Hypernyms: word: bottomwear
word: clothing
word: drawers
Hyponyms: word: bell bottoms
word: bloomers
word: board shorts
word: boardies
word: bumsters
word: capris
word: capri pants
word: clamdiggers
word: corduroys
word: crackers
word: daks
word: ducks
word: flannels
word: hip-huggers
word: hipsters
word: jeans
word: jeggings
word: jodhpurs
word: joggers
word: jogging bottoms
word: jogpants
word: kerseys
word: khakis
word: knickers
word: loons
word: lowriders
word: pantaloon
word: pantaloons
word: pedal-pushers
word: salopettes
word: shorts
word: slacks
word: slops
word: stubbies
word: sweats
word: sweatpants
word: trackies
word: tracksuit bottoms
word: treggings
word: waders
Derived terms: all talk and trousers
all mouth and no trousers
all mouth and trousers
bell-bottomed trousers
bell-bottom trousers
combat trousers
drainpipe trousers
Dutchman's trousers
harem trousers
in short trousers
long trousers
overtrousers
pair of trousers
peg-top trousers
put one's trousers on one leg at a time
put on one's trousers one leg at a time
saggy trousers
short trousers
spongebag trousers
stovepipe trousers
sweat trousers
trouserettes
trousersed
trousersless
undertrousers
wear the trousers
whoops, there go my trousers
Related terms: word: trouser
word: pyjamas / pajamas - Derived from Persian for "leg clothing"