knickerbocker

noun

knick·​er·​bock·​er ˈni-kər-ˌbä-kər How to pronounce knickerbocker (audio)
ˈni-kə-
1
knickerbockers ˈni-kər-ˌbä-kərz How to pronounce knickerbocker (audio)
ˈni-kə-
plural : knickers
2
capitalized : a descendant of the early Dutch settlers of New York
broadly : a native or resident of the city or state of New York
used as a nickname

Examples of knickerbocker in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Wearing knickerbockers tucked into her knee-high socks, Kuhn raised an arm to signal her presence, stepped into the ice chute and waited for her cue. Noele Illien, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2020 Suits included boyish shorts or knickerbockers more often than a trouser. Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2020 They were originally modeled after classic knickerbockers: broad and billowy from the waist to the calf, and then skin tight to the ankle. Pete Forester, Esquire, 7 Sep. 2017 This image, of a fair-haired child dressed as a page boy, in cape and knickerbockers, adorns the cover of the American edition of Sebald’s novel. James Wood, The New Yorker, 31 May 2017 There was that about him which spoke of knickerbockers and romping childhood laid aside but yesterday. Rosa Inocencio Smith, The Atlantic, 5 June 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'knickerbocker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Diedrich Knickerbocker, fictitious author of History of New York (1809) by Washington Irving

First Known Use

1820, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of knickerbocker was in 1820

Dictionary Entries Near knickerbocker

Cite this Entry

“Knickerbocker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knickerbocker. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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