Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1800-1900
Origin: pantaloons

pants

1 noun
     
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pants1 S3 [plural]
1 especially American EnglishDCC a piece of clothing that covers you from your waist to your feet and has a separate part for each leg [= trousers British English]
She was wearing dark blue pants and a white sweater.
2 British EnglishDCC a piece of underwear that covers the area between your waist and the top of your legs [= underpants AmE; ↪ knickers, briefs, boxer shorts]
3

bore/scare etc the pants off somebody

informal spoken to make someone feel very bored, very frightened etc:
She always bores the pants off me.
4

beat the pants off somebody

American English spoken to defeat someone very easily in a game or competition [= thrash]
5

somebody puts his pants on one leg at a time

American English spoken used to say that someone is just like everyone else:
Go on, ask him for his autograph - he puts his pants on one leg at a time just like you do.
6

(since somebody was) in short pants

British English informal since someone was a very young boy:
I've known Eric since he was in short pants.

➔ do something by the seat of your pants

at seat1 (10)

➔ catch somebody with their pants down

at catch1 (6)

➔ wear the pants/trousers

at wear1 (7)
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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