pantaloon

noun

pan·​ta·​loon ˌpan-tə-ˈlün How to pronounce pantaloon (audio)
1
a
or pantalone capitalized : a character in the commedia dell'arte that is usually a skinny old dotard who wears spectacles, slippers, and a tight-fitting combination of trousers and stockings
b
: a buffoon in pantomimes
2
pantaloons plural
a
: wide breeches worn especially in England during the reign of Charles II
b
: close-fitting trousers usually having straps passing under the instep and worn especially in the 19th century
3
: loose-fitting usually shorter than ankle-length trousers

Examples of pantaloon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web What was once avant-garde (the pantaloon, the stirrup, the male stocking, the chubby old manager inexplicably kitting up in full uniform) has become passé. Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Several said the Duggars’ TLC show reminded them of their own strict upbringings, especially depictions of the docile, obedient Duggar children in their pilgrim collars and pantaloons. Anne Branigin, Washington Post, 2 June 2023 Black women painted with dramatic makeup wear pantaloons and lacy corsets to create editorial tableaux reminiscent of a Beyoncé visual album. Vulture, 8 May 2023 His costume consisted of a white blouse with blue pleated sleeves, a brown vest, dark blue pantaloons, a blue cape, a fencing foil and fake brown boots. Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 17 Mar. 2023 Beginning in the 1790s, U.S. officials spread throughout eastern North America and pressured the continent’s longtime residents to change their ways: to wear pantaloons, use plows, pray to Jesus. Caitlin Fitz, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2020 Louis Vuitton's wall of history Elizabethan ruffs glistened in the lights alongside medieval two-point hats, pantaloons, exaggerated wigs and crinolines Tuesday at Louis Vuitton's fall collection in Paris. Thomas Adamson, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2020 Anatoly enrolled his boxing prodigy in dance classes and not just any dance classes but traditional Ukrainian dance classes, called Hopak, where performers wear the brightest of boots and colorful satin pantaloons, like from the movie Aladdin. Greg Bishop, SI.com, 9 May 2018 Squirrel corn and the slightly pointier Dutchman's breeches both look like white pantaloons flapping on a line. Grant Segall, cleveland.com, 11 May 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pantaloon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle French & Old Italian; Middle French Pantalon, from Old Italian Pantaleone, Pantalone

First Known Use

circa 1590, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pantaloon was circa 1590

Dictionary Entries Near pantaloon

Cite this Entry

“Pantaloon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pantaloon. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pantaloon

noun
pan·​ta·​loon ˌpant-ᵊl-ˈün How to pronounce pantaloon (audio)
1
plural : close-fitting trousers usually with straps passing under the insteps
2
: loose-fitting usually shorter than ankle-length trousers see Word History at pants

More from Merriam-Webster on pantaloon

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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