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noun

Breeches n. pl.

A garment worn by men, covering the hips and thighs; smallclothes. "His jacket was red, and his breeches were blue."

Trousers; pantaloons. (Colloq.)

Breeches buoy, in the life-saving service, a pair of canvas breeches depending from an annular or beltlike life buoy which is usually of cork. This contrivance, inclosing the person to be rescued, is hung by short ropes from a block which runs upon the hawser stretched from the ship to the shore, and is drawn to land by hauling lines.

Breeches pipe, a forked pipe forming two branches united at one end.

Knee breeches, breeches coming to the knee, and buckled or fastened there; smallclothes.

To wear the breeches, to usurp the authority of the husband; said of a wife. (Colloq.)

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Etymology of 'Breeches'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Breeches" Quotes from Famous Books

... thing, forsooth! He could have used thee no worse, had he picked thee up out of the dirt! Devil take him if thou shalt abide at the mercy of the spite of a paltry little merchant of asses' dung! They come to us out of their pigstyes in the country, clad in homespun frieze, with their bag-breeches and pen in arse, and as soon as they have gotten a leash of groats, they must e'en have the daughters of gentlemen and right ladies to wife and bear arms and say, "I am of such a family" and "Those of ...

— The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio • Giovanni Boccaccio

... the lieutenant's bivouac from that quarter. He was more puzzled than ever; nor did the minutest inspection of the walls and floor throw any light upon the subject: one thing only was clear—the breeches were gone! "It is very singular," said ...

— Humorous Ghost Stories • Dorothy Scarborough

... him perfect glory; and strengthened him with rich garments, with breeches, with a ...

— Deuteronomical Books of the Bible - Apocrypha • Anonymous

... Besides, we find from Max's "Memoirs," that Charles was not so coarse in his dress as is usually represented, for his clothes were made of fine materials. He always wore a plain blue coat with gilt buttons, buff waistcoat and breeches, a black crape cravat, and a cocked hat; a waist-belt, and a long cut-and-thrust sword. He never disfigured himself by the full-bottomed wig of the period, but always wore his own brown hair, combed back from his forehead. His camp-bed consisted of a blue silk mattress, pillow and ...

— Great Men and Famous Women. Vol. 2 of 8 • Various

... up this Road towards us I saw a man dressed in a green coat, riding-breeches and boots and a peaked cap, who held in his hand a hunting-whip. He was a fine-looking person of middle age, with a pleasant, open countenance, bright blue eyes, and very red cheeks, on which he wore light-coloured whiskers. In short a jovial-looking individual, with whom things had evidently ...

— The Mahatma and the Hare • H. Rider Haggard

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