Meaning & use
trews
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Meaning
nounpluralScottishIrish
Close-fitting trousers, especially ones made of tartan cloth and worn as part of traditional Scottish or Irish dress.
Grammar: Always plural: use 'a pair of trews' for one item, and a plural verb: 'My trews are new.'
Patterns
- a pair of trews
- wear trews
- tartan trews
He wore a pair of tartan trews to the wedding.
The dancers' trews were made of fine wool.
She bought trews instead of a kilt for the ceilidh.
Common combinations
- tartan trews
- The pipe band wore tartan trews.
- a pair of trews
- He packed a pair of trews for the trip.
- wear trews
- The groom chose to wear trews rather than a kilt.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: trews or trousers? trews or trews?
trews vs trousers
Trousers is the everyday word; trews is a special traditional garment, often tartan.
trews vs trews
Do not confuse with 'trees', which are plants.
Practice
The trews ______ made of thick wool.
Choose one answer.
'Trews' is always plural, so it takes a plural verb: 'are'. 'Is' and 'was' are singular and do not agree. 'Has' is singular and would also need a past participle, which is not present.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “trews”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.