Meaning & use
trouser
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Meanings
nouncountableBritish
A leg of a pair of trousers, or a piece of clothing for the legs; often used before another noun.
Grammar: In British English, 'trouser' is usually singular and used before a noun (trouser leg). The whole item is 'trousers' (plural).
Patterns
- trouser leg
- trouser pocket
- a pair of trousers
He tore the trouser leg on a nail.
She put her keys in the trouser pocket.
The trousers are too long; I need to shorten the trouser legs.
nouncountableBritish
A pair of trousers, especially in compounds like 'trouser suit'.
Grammar: Used before another noun to mean 'trousers' as a type: a trouser suit, trouser press.
Patterns
- trouser suit
- trouser press
She wore a smart trouser suit to the interview.
The hotel provided a trouser press in the room.
Word forms
| plural | trousers |
|---|
Common combinations
- trouser leg
- The trouser leg was caught in the bicycle chain.
- trouser pocket
- He pulled a coin from his trouser pocket.
- trouser suit
- She looked professional in a dark trouser suit.
- pair of trousers
- I bought a new pair of trousers for work.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- trousers noun
- The usual plural word for the item of clothing.
- trousered adjective
- Wearing trousers, often in combination (e.g., 'silk-trousered').
Commonly confused: trouser or trousers?
trouser vs trousers
Learners often use 'trouser' as the singular of 'trousers', but the singular form is not used alone in modern English; the plural 'trousers' is the standard word for the item.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
The whole item is 'trousers' (plural), and we say 'a pair of trousers'. 'Trouser' alone is not used for the whole item in modern English.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “trouser”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.