What does panty mean?
A panty is a brief, close-fitting undergarment worn beneath outer clothing. In everyday use, this garment is nearly always named in the plural as "panties," particularly in North America, where "panty" usually occurs in compound expressions such as "panty liner." British English more commonly uses "knickers" for women's or girls' underpants, while "pants" may refer more generally to garments worn over the legs. The word appears in clothing descriptions, retail terminology, advertising, and discussions of dress and intimacy. In literary contexts it can be used candidly or satirically, but it may sound clinical or suggestive depending on the surrounding language. Its unusual history also connects an everyday item of underwear to a theatrical tradition: the word ultimately reaches Pantalone, a familiar figure from Italian commedia dell'arte.
nounA short, close-fitting undergarment worn beneath other clothing, covering the hips and lower body. The garment is ordinarily referred to in the plural.
- A short, close-fitting undergarment worn beneath other clothing to cover the hips and lower body.
"She slipped on a pair of black satin panties before getting dressed."
"He found a red pair of panties in the laundry basket."
"The novel describes the hotel room in intimate but matter-of-fact detail."
The plural is the standard form when referring to the garment, especially in British and North American usage.
"She bought several pairs of cotton panties."
Through French pantaloons, panty inherits a link to Pantalone, the hunchbacked, long-nosed stock character of Italian commedia dell'arte.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does panty come from?
The word appeared in 19th-century English as an alteration of French pantaloons, a term associated with a style of trousers and, by extension, an undergarment resembling short trousers. French pantaloons in turn drew on Italian pantalone, connected with Pantalone, a stock character in Italian commedia dell'arte. English "pants" and the older "pantaloon" were also influenced by the same French vocabulary.
How panty is actually used
The word is chiefly North American; British speakers normally use "knickers" or "pants." Although the singular "panty" occurs in formal descriptions and compound expressions such as "panty liner," the garment is generally named in the plural as "panties."
Easily confused with panty
Pants is the general North American term for trousers or other clothing worn over the legs, whereas panties specifically denotes underwear.
Knickers are the usual British term for women's or girls' underpants, while panties is chiefly used in North America.