(in pantomime) an absurd old man, the butt of the clown's tricks
2. (usually capital)
(in commedia dell'arte) a lecherous old merchant dressed in pantaloons
Word origin
C16: from French Pantalon, from Italian Pantalone, local nickname for a Venetian, probably from San Pantaleone, a fourth-century Venetian saint
pantaloon in American English
(ˌpæntəˈlun)
noun
1. [P-]
a.
a stock character in commedia dell'arte, usually a slender, foolish old man wearing tight trousers extending to the feet
b.
a similar figure in modern pantomime, the butt of the clown's jokes
2. [pl.]; Obsolete
a.
tight trousers fastened below the calf or strapped under the boots
b.
later, any trousers
Word origin
Fr Pantalon < It Pantalone, name of a character in Italian comedy, from the Venetian patron saint Pantalone or Pantaleone (< Gr pantos, panto- + leōn, lion): also, the garment worn by this character