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bathing trunks

bathing trunks

1 1.6
Short clothes that men wear for swimming
  • noun
  • /ˈbeɪðɪŋ trʌŋks/
translation icon : bañador
  • On hot summer days, many men wear bathing trunks to the beach.
  • wear bathing trunks

Examples

  • He put on his bathing trunks and jumped into the pool.

  • He wore slippery maroon bathing trunks at home, with no shirt to cover his round hairy stomach, and glossy leather slippers.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Come in the bath with your bathing trunks.

  • I didn't say anything even when he came down a few minutes later in his bathing trunks.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • He wore dark glasses and iridescent blue bathing trunks with fish circling back to front.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • He glances over, sees Clay in plaid bathing trunks, sitting apart from the others.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • She seemed a different order of being from Mrs. Finston in her jeans and sneakers, and Mr. Finston in his bathing trunks.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • He was wearing his cherry-colored bathing trunks with a terry-cloth robe draped over his shoulders.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • He (hirsute) is in a sleeveless undershirt and baggy bathing trunks.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • He was short, muscular, and bronze, and as I watched him change from jeans to bathing trunks before he got into the driver's seat, I knew there was no line either at the belly or thigh to indicate any lighter color of skin.

    Fiction book (1992)

Synonyms

bathing suit
vsbathing trunks
  • US
96 1.0

A piece of clothing you wear for swimming

is looser and short, made of light material rather than tight fitting fabric
swimsuit
vsbathing trunks
80 1.0

Clothing worn for swimming that covers the body

is narrower, meaning lightweight shorts for men's swimming rather than any fit
Speedo
vsbathing trunks
10 3.6

A brand of tight men's swimsuit often worn for swimming or competitions

is the short, loose style for men rather than brief, brand style swimwear
swimming trunks
vsbathing trunks
  • UK
9 1.1

Shorts that men or boys wear for swimming

is the same short style but stresses light material and men's use
swimwear
vsbathing trunks
7 1.0

Clothes worn for swimming in a pool or at the beach

refers specifically to light shorts for men rather than all swim clothes
trunks
vsbathing trunks
1 1.8

Short pants that end near the knee and people wear for swimming or boxing

is limited to lightweight shorts specifically for men's swimming
bathing costume
vsbathing trunks
  • UK
1 3.4

Tight clothing people wear for swimming at a beach or pool

is a looser short style intended for men's swimming rather than tight fit

How Covering

wet suit
6 3.3
bathing trunks
1 1.6
briefs
1.5

Surface Forms

bathing trunks singular

Morphology

bathe + trunks

The meaning 'shorts worn for swimming' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'bathing' (relating to swimming/washing) with 'trunks' (short trousers). This is a regular descriptive compound following common English noun-modifier patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Bathing trunks is simply a name for the clothes: bathing means 'swimming' and trunks means short pants people wear in the water. So today bathing trunks means 'a pair of shorts made for swimming'.