Pant - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT pant /pænt/ /pænt/ IPA guide

Other forms: panting; pants; panted

When you breathe hard and fast, you pant. It's perfectly normal to pant after you finish running a marathon — or even after chasing your runaway dog through the neighborhood.

You might pause at the top of a hill to pant and catch your breath before you continue on your hike. That loud, gasping breath itself is also a pant — but when this noun is plural, it means trousers, slacks, or jeans. Be careful, though — in parts of the UK, pants are primarily women's undergarments. Any pants you wear on you body come from pantaloons, which in the 1600s meant tights.

Definitions of pant

verb breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted “The runners reached the finish line, panting heavily” synonyms: gasp, heave, puff see moresee less type of: blow exhale hard
verb utter while panting, as if out of breath synonyms: gasp see moresee less type of: emit, let loose, let out, utter express audibly; utter sounds (not necessarily words)
noun a short labored intake of breath with the mouth open synonyms: gasp see moresee less type of: aspiration, breathing in, inhalation, inspiration, intake the act of inhaling; the drawing in of air (or other gases) as in breathing
noun (usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately synonyms: trouser see moresee less types: show 26 types... hide 26 types... bell-bottoms, bellbottom pants, bellbottom trousers trousers with legs that flare; worn by sailors; absurdly wide hems were fashionable in the 1960s breeches, knee breeches, knee pants, knickerbockers, knickers trousers ending above the knee chino trousers made with chino cloth churidars tight trousers worn by people from the Indian subcontinent (typically with a kameez or kurta) cords, corduroys cotton trousers made of corduroy cloth flannel, gabardine, tweed, white (usually in the plural) trousers made of flannel or gabardine or tweed or white cloth blue jean, denim, jean (usually plural) close-fitting trousers of heavy denim for manual work or casual wear jodhpur breeches, jodhpurs, riding breeches flared pants ending at the calves and worn with riding boots long pants, long trousers trousers reaching to the foot pajama, pyjama a pair of loose trousers tied by a drawstring around the waist; worn by men and women in some Asian countries pantaloon trousers worn in former times pedal pusher, toreador pants snug trousers ending at the calves; worn by women and girls salwar, shalwar a pair of light loose trousers with a tight fit around the ankles; worn by women from the Indian subcontinent (usually with a kameez) short pants, shorts, trunks trousers that end at or above the knee slacks (usually in the plural) pants for casual wear stretch pants trousers made of a stretchy fabric sweat pants, sweatpants loose-fitting trousers with elastic cuffs; worn by athletes trews tight-fitting trousers; usually of tartan Bermuda shorts, Jamaica shorts short pants that end at the knee britches informal term for breeches buckskins breeches made of buckskin hot pants skin-tight very short pants worn by young women as an outer garment lederhosen leather shorts often worn with suspenders; worn especially by men and boys in Bavaria Levi's, levis a popular brand of jeans plus fours men's baggy knickers hanging below the knees; formerly worn for sports (especially golf) trunk hose puffed breeches of the 16th and 17th centuries usually worn over hose type of: garment an article of clothing
noun the noise made by a short puff of steam (as from an engine) see moresee less type of: noise sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)

Pronunciation US /pænt/ UK /pænt/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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