breeches

[ brich-iz, bree-chiz ]
See synonyms for breeches on Thesaurus.com
noun(used with a plural verb)
  1. Also called knee breeches. knee-length trousers, often having ornamental buckles or elaborate decoration at or near the bottoms, commonly worn by men and boys in the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries.

  1. Informal. trousers.

Idioms about breeches

  1. too big for one's breeches, asserting oneself beyond one's authority or ability.

Origin of breeches

1
1125–75; Middle English, plural of breech

Words that may be confused with breeches

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for breeches

breeches

/ (ˈbrɪtʃɪz, ˈbriː-) /


pl n
  1. trousers extending to the knee or just below, worn for riding, mountaineering, etc

  2. informal, or dialect any trousers

  1. too big for one's breeches conceited; unduly self-confident

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012