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Definition of knickers

knickers

/ˈnɪk.ɚz/
knick · ers
Plural:knickers
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knickers Lexical Profile

knickers Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

British Women's or girls' underpants.

Example

"She bought a pack of comfortable cotton knickers from the department store."

2

American Loose-fitting trousers gathered at the knee or calf, historically worn by men and boys.

Example

"The vintage baseball team took the field wearing traditional striped shirts and woolen knickers."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for knickers

Word Nuance & Usage

This word causes frequent transatlantic confusion: in British English, 'knickers' refers to women's underwear, whereas in American English, it historically refers to loose-fitting trousers gathered at the knee.

• Rhymes for knickers

• Nearby Words

knesset
knickerbocker
knickerbockers
knickers
knicks
knife
knifefish

Word Origin & Etymology

Shortened from 'knickerbockers', derived from Diedrich Knickerbocker, the pseudonym used by Washington Irving for his 1809 'History of New York', which came to describe the style of trousers worn by the original Dutch settlers.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Knickers. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 3, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/knickers
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