Knickers
/ˈnɪk.əz/noun
A pair of short trousers or underpants, especially for women or children.
Did you know?The word comes from the nickname of Washington Irving’s fictional Dutch family “the Knickerbockers,” which later became attached to a style of loose trousers and then undergarments.
Etymological Timeline
17th Century
English
Knickerbocker
“A humorous surname used by Washington Irving for a fictional old Dutch New Yorker in 1809.”
19th Century
English
Knickerbockers
“Loose-fitting knee breeches, especially worn by boys and athletes.”
Late 19th Century
English
Knickers
“Short trousers or drawers, especially for women and children.”
Modern English
English
knickers
“Underpants or short trousers, chiefly British English.”
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