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breeches

breeches

1 9.9
Trousers that end above the knee and fasten below it
  • noun
  • /ˈbrichɪz/
  • Archaic
translation icon : pantalones cortos
  • We've got the great doublets with, you know, the black and we have the Spanish style breeches, which are those like slashed balloony little like shorts.

They were tight fitting breeches with a distinctive braided knot, a Vitus Cortez upon the thighs.

Examples

  • As a base layer, the guards wore shirts and breeches with boots and black gaiters.

  • So what she did was she made me the breeches and the vest and the coat.

  • They were tight fitting breeches with a distinctive braided knot, a Vitus Cortez upon the thighs.

  • In the play, the actor wore elegant breeches that were styled in the fashion of the 18th century.

  • The old photograph showed a gentleman in breeches, a common outfit for men in the past.

  • During the historical reenactment, the participants donned breeches to resemble soldiers from the colonial era.

Synonyms

trousers
vsbreeches
110 1.0

Clothes worn on the lower body with separate parts for each leg

is the specific short fastened historical form rather than a full length garment
short pants
vsbreeches
5 1.0

Trousers ending above the knee that people wear in warm weather or for sports

is the older formal fastened garment rather than a modern casual style
britches
vsbreeches
  • Informal
3 8.4

Loose trousers like old work pants

is the standard or original form rather than the informal variant
knicker
vsbreeches
  • Archaic
2 8.1

Loose knee-length trousers gathered at the knee and worn for sport or old-fashioned dress

is the fitted traditional adult garment fastened below the knee rather than gathered
knickerbocker
vsbreeches
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A type of short loose pants that gather at the knee

is the historical short garment fastened below the knee rather than gathered
knee breeches
vsbreeches
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Short trousers fastened just below the knee, worn by men in the 1600s and 1700s

is the general historical name for that specific short fastened garment
knee pants
vsbreeches
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Short trousers that reach to the knee and are often worn by boys

is the broader adult style of short fastened trousers rather than boys' wear
smallclothes
vsbreeches
  • Archaic
9.9

Knee-length trousers that men wore with formal clothes in the 17th and 18th centuries

is the same garment but used more generally not only for formal occasions
knickers
vsbreeches
  • Archaic
7.7

Short trousers that end above the knee, often worn by boys or for sports

is the older general adult garment rather than a child or sports style
knickerbockers
vsbreeches
  • Archaic
9.9

Short loose trousers gathered at the knee, often worn by boys or for sports

is the tailored historical adult garment fastened below the knee rather than gathered
riding breeches
vsbreeches
8.0

Trousers wide at the hips and tight below the knee worn for riding horses

is shorter ending above and fastening just below the knee instead
jodhpur breeches
vsbreeches
9.9

Trousers wide at the hips and tight from the knee to the ankle for horse riding

is much shorter ending above the knee and fastening just below it
braies
vsbreeches
  • Archaic
9.9

Loose trousers worn under tunics by men in medieval Europe

is the outer fastened historical garment worn above the underlayer at the knee

Idioms

Acting too proud and thinking you are better than others

Compounds

knee breeches
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Short trousers fastened just below the knee, worn by men in the 1600s and 1700s

A plant that lives for many years with large lobed leaves and tall spikes of white flowers with purple lines

breeches buoy
  • Archaic
9.9

A ring buoy with short trousers used to move people from a ship to shore

A delicate spring wildflower with white flowers that look like little pants

Trousers wide at the hips and tight from the knee to the ankle for horse riding

Trousers wide at the hips and tight below the knee worn for riding horses

How Revealing

loincloth
11 7.1
breechcloth
1 9.9
shorts
1 1.0
breeches
  • Archaic
1 9.9
trousers
110 1.0

Surface Forms

breeches singular
breeches plural

Etymology

Breeches comes from the Old English brēc, which meant 'trousers', and is related to breech (the lower part of the body) and the everyday word britches. So breeches means those short trousers for the lower body that often stop just above the knee.