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Glite Dictionary
trouser clip

trouser clip

5.3
A clip worn around the ankle to stop trousers getting caught in the bike chain
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : clip para pantalones
  • I forgot my trouser clip this morning, and my trousers got caught in the gears.

Examples

  • Cyclists often use trouser clips to keep their pants from getting soiled by the bike chain.

  • Don't forget to use your trouser clip when cycling!

  • The store sells trouser clips in a variety of colors and designs.

  • He wore a trouser clip to keep his pants safe.

  • Cyclists often use trouser clips to prevent their pants from getting caught in the bike chain.

  • I always wear a trouser clip when I ride my bicycle to avoid accidents with my trousers.

  • A trouser clip is essential for keeping your pants secure while cycling.

Synonyms

bicycle clip
vstrouser clip
1 2.8

A small metal or plastic clip you wear on your ankle to keep trousers out of the bicycle chain

uses a name that highlights pants rather than the two-wheeled vehicle

Surface Forms

trouser clip singular
trouser clips plural

Morphology

trouser + clip

The compound is directly compositional: 'trouser' (a garment for the legs) + 'clip' (a small fastener) yields a clip for trousers, so a B1 learner who knows both words will infer it is an object that fastens or protects trousers. The specific cycling-purpose detail (preventing chain entanglement) is extra information but the basic referent and function are transparently derivable and follow common compounding patterns.

Etymology

Trouser clip comes from the small metal or plastic clip cyclists put around the bottom of a trouser leg to hold the cloth away from the bike chain. That's why it 'prevents' trousers from getting caught or dirty.