knickers

plural noun

knick·​ers ˈni-kərz How to pronounce knickers (audio)
1
: loose-fitting short pants gathered at the knee
2
chiefly British : underpants

Examples of knickers in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Three holes later, a pair of fans dressed in traditional Scottish golf knickers stood beside the eighth tee. The Arizona Republic, 9 Feb. 2023 In the 1920s, women could wear knee-length bloomers or knickers while playing sports, though even this purposely use of traditionally men’s clothing didn’t protect women from drawing negative attention. Amy Shira Teitel, Discover Magazine, 12 Feb. 2019 Movies like Martyrs and High Tension would have even Eli Roth wetting his knickers, and Inside is no exception. Huntley Woods, EW.com, 2 Dec. 2022 The 15 percent minimum tax has The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board’s knickers in a twist because nearly half of the revenue would be raised from manufacturers. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 4 Aug. 2022 The popularity of the knickers was so widespread that Craghoppers eventually expanded the product line to offer an entire range of walking breeches and trousers for middle-of-the-mountain trekkers. Outside Online, 31 Oct. 2018 The demonstrators wore white tops and red shorts — outfits modeled after Tatiana Golovin, a French player who in 2007 got away with wearing bright red knickers on the Wimbledon grass. Julian Mark, Washington Post, 11 July 2022 For the full look, there’s coordinating high-waisted and low-waisted knickers. Felicity Carter, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2021 All Stripe & Stare’s knickers, lounge & sleep wear and fashion items can be personalized with your choice of name, initials, shape or favorite quote for just £8 per item. Angela Lei, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'knickers.' 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

short for knickerbockers

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of knickers was in 1881

Dictionary Entries Near knickers

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

knickers

noun plural
knick·​ers ˈnik-ərz How to pronounce knickers (audio)
1
: loose-fitting short pants gathered just below the knee
2
chiefly British : underpants

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