Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Long bloomers formerly worn as underwear by women and girls.
- n. Chiefly British Panties.
- n. Full breeches gathered and banded just below the knee.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- A contraction of knickerbockers. Also used adjectively, in the form knicker: as, a knicker suit.
Wiktionary
- n. Knickerbockers.
- n. Women's underpants.
- interj. A mild exclamation of annoyance.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. The name for a style of loose-fitting short trousers, gathered in and ending at the knees; smallclothes; called also
knickerbockers . - n. Underpants, especially of women; panties.
WordNet 3.0
- n. trousers ending above the knee
- n. underpants worn by women
Etymologies
- Short for knickerbockers.
Examples
“Happy to see the tradition of Hannah Spearrit in her knickers is being continued. #primeval The Egyptian stuff ... wince.”
“PS I had a look for a picture of aman in knickers by way of humour. .yeeeesh, Bough was clearly not alone in his peculiar predelictions.”
“In Britan (& Ireland) knickers is used as a term for everyday underwear (i.e. cotton etc) while French Knickers denotes a totally unique style, shape and allusion.”
“I agree that anyone who used the term underpants to describe french knickers is not portraying your “voice” properly to the average american.”
“Though I don't quote lyrics in this chapter, the song they dance to in their knickers is called Sway and it's the Julie London version.”
“Would it be fair to say she is a pig in knickers?? on December 21, 2007 at 3: 24 pm | Reply Stocking”
“I think that buying coloured knickers is perhaps a metaphor for my larger state of mind at the moment.”
“For his final event, Lodwick competed in knickers, a Norwegian ski club sweater and a necktie.”
USATODAY.com - Athlete of the Week Landis breaks from cycling pack
“On these journeys, it was his custom to dress in knickers or shorts and to go into remote villages and other places not usually touched by people on a grand tour.”
“On being paparazzied: "I don't want to fall over; I just want to get to my car, because if I fall over, someone's going to shove a camera lens up my skirt and get a picture of my knickers, which is kind of not cool.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘knickers’.
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UK Usage - Find US Equivalent
All these terms have a (different) American English equivalent. Wonder if you can identify them?
abridgement (abri..., accoutrement, accoutre, acknowledgement (..., opposite, advert, adaptor, adapter, sticking plaster, advertise, adviser (advisor ..., adze, aesthete and 1196 more...
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The weird, the wonderful and the plain hilarious
Loved for their ingenuity, an exact description, or simply for the pure joy of it.
acidulous, aprosdoketon, higgledy-piggledy, lexicographical, ninja, audacious, somnabulist, shivaree, amorphous, quidnunc, glib, melancholy and 353 more...
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old timey talk
Words or Sayings from the 1920's or whatever that no one really uses anymore (at least in that context).
scram, bearcat, heavens to betsy, dick, double-cross, ducky, gams, goofy, hooch, jalopy, john, joe and 174 more...
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"Queen's" English
Collection of words from Old Blighty
sorted, sketchy, mate, oi, innit, ol' chum, brilliant, wicked, arse, bloody, bollocks, wanker and 12 more...
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Pants related words
pants, trousers, pantaloons, dungarees, jodhpurs, breeches, chinos, knickers, slacks, chaps, skort, trucks and 1 more...
frindley Undies! Oct 9, 2008
sonofgroucho As in "Don't get your knickers in a twist". Apr 1, 2007
seanahan I love British words. Feb 8, 2007