/pan'tl oohn"/ , n.
1. pantaloons , a man's close-fitting garment for the hips and legs, worn esp. in the 19th century, but varying in form from period to period; trousers.
2. ( usually cap. ) Also, Pantalone /pan'tl oh"nay, pahn'-/ ; It. /pahn'tah law"ne/ . (in commedia dell'arte) a foolish old Venetian merchant, usually the head of a household, generally lascivious and frequently deceived in the course of lovers' intrigues.
3. (in the modern pantomime) a foolish, vicious old man, the butt and accomplice of the clown.
[ 1580-90; Pantalon Pantalone nickname for a Venetian, var. of PANTALEONE, name of a 4th-century saint once a favorite of the Venetians ]