different between slacks vs trouser

English

Noun

slacks

1. plural of slack

Noun

slacks pl (plural only)

1. (dated) Semi-formal trousers that are less formal than those part of a suit but suitable for wearing in most offices and therefore nowadays no longer considered casual trousers. (Takes a plural verb even when referring to a single pair; may be referred to as a pair of slacks)
   • 1957, J. D. Salinger, "Zooey", in, 1961, Franny and Zooey:

     Not five minutes later, Zooey, with his hair combed wet, stood wet, stood barefoot at the washbowl, wearing a pair of beltless dark-gray sharkskin slacks, a face towel across his bare shoulders.

Usage notes

The term is old-fashioned and now used mostly by older people and by the clothing industry in the US. (It was never common in British English.) Despite being no longer considered casual clothing, they are incorrectly still defined as casual trousers by all major American and British dictionaries.

Translations

Verb

slacks

1. Third-person singular simple present indicative form of slack

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?t?a?z?/
• (US) enPR: trou?z?r, IPA^(key): /?t?a?z?/
• Rhymes: -a?z?(?)

Noun

trouser (plural trousers)

1. (used attributively as a modifier) Of or relating to trousers.

   trouser leg

2. (in clothing retail and fashion) A pair of trousers.

   And this is our linen trouser, sir.

Usage notes

• Outside the clothing retail and fashion industries, the use of the noun trouser to refer to a pair of trousers is rare.

Derived terms

• in the trouser department
• trouser pocket
• trouser snake

Translations

Verb

trouser (third-person singular simple present trousers, present participle trousering, simple past and past participle trousered)

1. (transitive, Britain, Ireland, informal) To put money into one's trouser pocket; to pocket.
2. (transitive, Britain, Ireland, informal) To legally remove funds from an organization for personal use.
3. (transitive, Britain, Ireland, informal) To secretively steal an item or money for personal use.

Translations

Anagrams

• retours, rotures, rouster, routers, tourers