pants
Pronounced:
/ˈpænts/
Function:
nounMeaning:
[plural] 1 chiefly US : a piece of clothing that covers your body from the waist to the ankle and has a separate part for each leg ▪ a pair of pants [=trousers] ▪ short/long pants ▪ a pants leg —sometimes used in the singular form pant especially before another noun and in clothing catalogs ▪ a pant leg ▪ a classic khaki pant = (more commonly) classic khaki pants —see color picture
2 Brit : underpants 1
2 Brit : underpants 1
ants in your pants —see ant
by the seat of your pants —see 1seat
keep your pants on
US informal —used to tell someone to be patient ▪ “Aren't you ready to leave yet?” “Keep your pants on! I'll be ready in a minute.”
the pants off
informal —used for emphasis after words like charm, scare, frighten, bore, and beat ▪ He can charm the pants off anybody. [=he is very charming] ▪ She scared the pants off us [=she scared us very badly] when she phoned at 3 a.m. ▪ The meeting bored the pants off me. ▪ The home team beat the pants off the visiting team last night.
wear the pants —see 1wear
with your pants down
US informal : in an embarrassing or unprepared position ▪ The clinic now maintains an adequate supply of vaccine so that it won't be caught with its pants down if there is a flu outbreak two years in a row.