breeches

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word breeches. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word breeches, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say breeches in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word breeches you have here. The definition of the word breeches will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofbreeches, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

A man wearing breeches.

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Middle English breches, brechen pl, a variant of Middle English breche, brech, brek (breeches), from Old English brēċ (underpants), from Proto-West Germanic *brōk, from Proto-Germanic *brōkiz pl (nom.acc.), from *brōks (trousers). Akin to Old Norse brók (breeches), Danish brog, Dutch broek, German Bruch f; compare Latin brācae ( > French braies, Spanish bragas) which is immediately of Celtic origin, and likely ultimately from the same Germanic origin above. Compare brail.

Pronunciation

  • (plural of breech):
    IPA(key): /ˈbɹiː.t͡ʃɪz/
    (file)
  • (smallclothes; trousers):
    IPA(key): /ˈbɹɪ.t͡ʃɪz/ (traditional)
    (file)
    IPA(key): /ˈbɹiː.t͡ʃɪz/ (more recent spelling pronunciation)
    (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪtʃɪz, -iːtʃɪz

Noun

breeches

  1. plural of breech

Noun

breeches pl (plural only, attributive breech)

  1. A garment worn by men, covering the hips and thighs; smallclothes.
    • 1834 [1799], Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Robert Southey, “The Devil's Thoughts”, in The Poetical Works of S. T. Coleridge, volume II, London: W. Pickering, page 83:
      And how then was the Devil drest? / Oh! he was in his Sunday's best: / His jacket was red and his breeches were blue, / And there was a hole where the tail came through.
  2. (informal) Trousers; pantaloons.
    Synonyms: trousers, pants

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Further reading