What does trouser mean?
Trouser is chiefly a British word for one of the two pieces of fabric forming the garment worn over the legs. Although dictionaries define it in the singular, British speakers normally use the plural trousers when referring to the garment as a whole. The singular remains useful when one leg is being identified or when it functions as a modifier, as in trouser pocket, trouser leg, and trouser press. In American English, pants is the usual everyday term, while slacks is common in more formal or professional contexts. Trouser also has a rare informal verb meaning to walk or stroll, although this use is much less frequent than the noun and sounds distinctly old-fashioned or regional to many modern speakers. The word is particularly useful for understanding the characteristic British distinction between singular trouser and plural trousers, a distinction that often disappears when translating the word into another language. Its established compounds also connect clothing with domestic routines, particularly the trouser press once used to preserve a sharp crease in formal trousers.
One of the two separate leg coverings that make up a pair of trousers, especially one referred to individually.
"The tailor shortened the left trouser of his black suit."
Chiefly British. Trousers is normally used for the complete pair; the singular is especially common in attributive combinations and when referring to one leg.
To walk or stroll.
"They troused slowly along the esplanade."
Rare, informal, and chiefly associated with British English.
The standard plural is used for the pair of garments, even though each leg is technically a trouser. It is much more frequent than the singular in modern British English.
"He wore dark trousers with a light-colored shirt."
In Britain, trousers are everyday wear; in America, the same garments are usually called pants—but a device that smooths them can still be called a trouser press.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does trouser come from?
The English word came through French from an older verb associated with covering or enclosing the legs in fabric; the ultimate origin of that French root is uncertain. The singular trouser was established by the early nineteenth century, while the plural trousers had already become common and eventually became the ordinary form in British English. Trouser is related to truss and, through French, to trousseau, both historically associated with fastening, binding, or gathering material into a bundle.
Related word forms
How trouser is actually used
The plural trousers is overwhelmingly more common than the singular in ordinary British usage. The singular is natural when one leg or a specific trouser is distinguished. American English normally uses pants. The verb is rare, informal, and unlikely to occur in formal writing.