pantaloon Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a buffoon in modern pantomimes; the butt of jokes
  2. noun a character in the commedia dell'arte; portrayed as a foolish old man
  3. noun trousers worn in former times

WordNet


Pan`ta*loon" noun
Etymology
F. pantalon, fr. It. pantalone, a masked character in the Italian comedy, who wore breeches and stockings that were all of one piece, from Pantaleone, the patron saint of Venice, which, as a baptismal name, is very frequent among the Venetians, and is applied to them by the other Italians as a nickname, fr. Gr. , lit., all lion, a Greek personal name.
Definitions
  1. Aridiculous character, or an old dotard, in the Italian comedy; also, a buffoon in pantomimes. Addison.
    The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slippered pantaloon. Shak.
  2. pl. A bifurcated garment for a man, covering the body from the waist downwards, and consisting of breeches and stockings in one.
  3. pl. In recent times, same as Trousers.

Webster 1913