pants

[pants]

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. trousers.

2. underpants, especially for women and children; panties.

3. British.,  men's underpants, especially long drawers.

pants

/ pænts /

plural noun

1. an undergarment reaching from the waist to the thighs or knees

2. Also called: trousers. a garment shaped to cover the body from the waist to the ankles or knees with separate tube-shaped sections for both legs

3. informal,  to bore extremely

4. informal,  to scare extremely

adjective

1. slang,  inferior

Word History and Origins

Origin of pants¹

1830–40; short for pantaloons

Word History and Origins

Origin of pants¹

C19: shortened from pantaloons; see _pantaloon

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. wear the pants, to have the dominant role; be in charge.

   I guess we know who wears the pants in that family.

More idioms and phrases containing pants

• ants in one's pants
• beat the pants off
• caught with one's pants down
• get the lead out of (one's pants)
• kick in the pants
• seat of the pants
• talk someone's arm (pants) off
• wear the pants

Example Sentences

More often, he showed pants for women as day and evening wear.

From Los Angeles Times

She designed all kinds of pieces, from striped vests and floor-length dresses to lightweight pants and winter coats.

From Los Angeles Times

Watkins descended the slope with a rope and harness to find the man, who had cut his nose — and forgot to zip his pants back up — but was otherwise fine.

From Los Angeles Times

The shooter was reported to be a male in his early 20’s, wearing “some black clothing, with cargo type pants,” according to O’Hara.

From Salon

He flips a jar of sumac between his hands like a baseball while teasing a regular, a woman in zebra-print pants with a diamond wedding ring the size of a quail’s egg.

From Salon

Related Words

• knickers 
• shorts 
• slacks 
• trousers 
• underpants 

When To Use

What is a basic definition of pants?

Pants are an article of clothing that extends from the waist to around the ankles and fits around each leg.Also known as trousers, pants are worn by people of all genders and ages. As opposed to a dress or a skirt, pants are divided down the middle and have openings for each leg. The fabric of pants wrap around each leg and usually extends to the ankles or at least past the knees.A single item of this clothing is called “a pair of pants” and multiple items are called “pairs of pants.” This article of clothing is never referred to as a “pant.”Pants is a general term for this type of clothing and is further divided into other specific kinds of pants, depending on fabric and cut. Jeans are pants made out of denim or corduroy, while leggings are close-fitting pants, often made out of a stretchy material like spandex.An article of clothing that is identical to pants but stops at or before the knee is referred to as a pair of shorts.

• Used in a sentence: She bought three new pairs of pants to wear with her new sweater. 

Among British English speakers, trousers is used to describe this article of clothing. Pants is used specifically to refer to undergarments, especially long drawers worn by men.