pantaloon

/pæntəˈluːn/

//pæntəˈluːn// noun

"pantaloon" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“pantaloon” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An aging buffoon.

Corpus desk

Index EN-pantaloon · pantaloon · English

pantaloon · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "P" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for pantaloon
PropertyValue
Headwordpantaloon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/pæntəˈluːn/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “pantaloon” in English

pantaloonranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

pantaloon is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /pæntəˈluːn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

pantaloon doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French pantalon, from Italian Pantalone (a character in Commedia dell'arte), from Spanish Pantaleon (surname). The correct English form is pantaloon, spelled P-A-N-T-A-L-O-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An aging buffoon.
  2. 2
    Trousers reminiscent of the tight-fitting leggings traditionally worn by a pantaloon.
  3. 3
    A kind of fabric.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how pantaloon appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Hic ibat, as I told you before, —Simois, I am Lucentio, hic est, son unto Vincentio of Pisa,— Sigeia tellus, disguised thus to get your love; — Hic steterat, and that Lucentio that comes a-wooing, — Priami, is my man Tranio, — regia, bearing my port, celsa senis, that we might beguile the old pantaloon.
  2. They constantly followed the virtuous pair, who as constantly eluded their grasp, whilst they themselves met with every kind of misfortune, until they became clown and pantaloon, […].

Etymology

Borrowed from French pantalon, from Italian Pantalone (a character in Commedia dell'arte), from Spanish Pantaleon (surname).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "pantaloon"?
"pantaloon" is spelled P-A-N-T-A-L-O-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /pæntəˈluːn/.
What does "pantaloon" mean?
As a noun, "pantaloon" means: An aging buffoon.
How do you pronounce "pantaloon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "pantaloon" is /pæntəˈluːn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "pantaloon"?
Borrowed from French pantalon, from Italian Pantalone (a character in Commedia dell'arte), from Spanish Pantaleon (surname). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list