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Pan·ta·loon

(păntə-ln′)

1. often Pan·ta·lo·ne (păn′tə-lōnā, pän′tä-lōnĕ) A character in the commedia dell'arte, portrayed as a foolish old man in tight trousers and slippers.

2. A stock character in modern pantomime, the butt of a clown's jokes.

[French Pantalon, from Italian Pantalone, after San Pantalone, or Saint Pantaleon (died AD 303), Roman physician and martyr.]

pan·ta·loon

(păn′tə-ln)

n. often pantaloons

a. Men's wide breeches extending from waist to ankle, worn especially in England in the late 1600s.

b. Tight trousers extending from waist to ankle with straps passing under the instep, worn especially in the 1800s.

2. Trousers; pants.

[French pantalon, a kind of trouser, from Pantalon, Pantaloon; see PANTALOON.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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