Overpants

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Trousers worn over regular pants to protect them or provide additional warmth or waterproofing
2. A layer of pants designed to be worn outside normal trousers to shield against dirt or weather
3. Clothing worn on the outside of other trousers for extra protection or insulation

Etymology: Overpants are, quite literally, trousers worn over other trousers. The word is a plain English compound: "over-" attached to "pants," so the modifier and the noun say exactly what the garment does. Its history is therefore the history of its two parts rather than a story of its own. The "over" half comes from Old English "ofer," which meant above or across, and it has passed through Middle English "over" into modern use. It is a native English element that has long been productive in compounds such as overcoat and overalls. The "pants" half is the more colourful part. It is a shortened form of "pantaloons," a garment named after Pantaloone, a foolish old Venetian merchant in the Italian commedia dell'arte who wore tight trousers. That name, in turn, came from Italian "Pantalone," and it reached English as "pantaloon" before being clipped to "pants." So overpants combines a very old English word with a comic stage character's name.