breeches
[ brich-iz, bree-chiz ]
/ ˈbrɪtʃ ɪz, ˈbri tʃɪz /
noun (used with a plural verb)
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.
Informal.
trousers.
Idioms for breeches
too big for one's breeches,
asserting oneself beyond one's authority or ability.
Origin of breeches
1125–75; Middle English, plural of
breech
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH breeches
breeches britchesWords nearby breeches
Definition for breeches (2 of 2)
breech
[ noun breech; verb breech, brich ]
/ noun britʃ; verb britʃ, brɪtʃ /
noun
verb (used with object)
Ordnance.
to fit or furnish (a gun) with a breech.
to clothe with breeches.
Origin of breech
before 1000; Middle English
breeche, Old English
brēc, plural of
brōc; cognate with Old Norse
brōk, Old High German
bruoh
OTHER WORDS FROM breech
un·breeched, adjectiveExample sentences from the Web for breeches
British Dictionary definitions for breeches (1 of 2)
breeches
/ (ˈbrɪtʃɪz, ˈbriː-) /
pl n
trousers extending to the knee or just below, worn for riding, mountaineering, etc
informal, or dialect
any trousers
too big for one's breeches
conceited; unduly self-confident
British Dictionary definitions for breeches (2 of 2)
breech
noun (briːtʃ)
verb (briːtʃ, brɪtʃ) (tr)
to fit (a gun) with a breech
archaic
to clothe in breeches or any other clothing
See also
breeches
Word Origin for breech
Old English
brēc, plural of
brōc leg covering; related to Old Norse
brōk, Old High German
bruoh
usage for breech
Breech is sometimes wrongly used as a verb where
breach is meant:
the barrier/agreement was breached (not
breeched)
Medical definitions for breeches
breech
[ brēch ]
n.
The lower rear portion of the human trunk; the buttocks.