[pan.ta.loon] n [MF & OIt; MF Pantalon, fr. OIt Pantaleone, Pantalone] (ca. 1590) 1 a or pan.ta.lo.ne cap: a character in the commedia dell'arte that is usu. a skinny old dotard who wears spectacles, slippers, and a tight-fitting combination of trousers and stockings b: a buffoon in pantomimes
2. pl a: wide breeches worn esp. in England during the reign of Charles II b: close-fitting trousers usu. having straps passing under the instep and worn esp. in the 19th century
3: loose-fitting usu. shorter than ankle-length trousers