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The noun pantywaist has proven to be more enduring in its figurative meaning — an ineffectual or childish man — than in its original meaning, which was a garment of early 20th century vintage: short pants fastened to a waist band, worn by children.
What does the word pantywaist mean? There are four meanings listed in OED's entry for the word pantywaist , one of which is considered derogatory. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
Pantywaist is a derogatory term often used to describe a person, especially a man, who is weak, lacks courage, or is overly sensitive or effeminate. This term originated from an article of children’s clothing that was popular in the early 20th century, a combination garment of panties and a waist band.
a person, especially a man, who is thought of as weak or cowardly (= not brave): Stop spoiling him or you'll turn him into a pantywaist. The mission was directed by some pantywaist colonel with fancy ideas. Synonym. sissy. Fewer examples.
pantywaist: A child's undergarment consisting of a shirt and pants buttoned together at the waist.
1. : a child's garment consisting of short pants buttoned to a waist. 2. : sissy. pantywaist adjective. Examples of pantywaist in a Sentence. Recent Examples on the Web. These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage.
noun. 1. informal slang. a weak, effeminate man; sissy. 2. (formerly) a child's undergarment consisting of short pants and a shirt that buttoned together at the waist. adjective. 3. weak; fainthearted.
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