Breeches are pants that stop at or just below the knee, fastening with buttons or buckles. Imagine cutting off a pair of pants mid-shin and adding a band that wraps snugly around your leg. That's breeches.

From the 1500s through the 1800s, breeches were what men and boys wore every day, paired with long socks or stockings that covered the rest of the leg. When you see paintings of George Washington or read about colonial America, those knee-length pants the men are wearing are breeches. They were practical for riding horses, since long pants could get tangled, and they kept legs cooler in summer than full-length trousers.

Today, people still wear breeches for horseback riding. Equestrian breeches fit smoothly under tall riding boots and don't bunch up in the saddle. You might also hear the word used historically or in old-fashioned expressions. When someone says “too big for his breeches,” they mean he’s acting more important than he really is, as if he's outgrown his proper place.

The word is pronounced like “britches,” which is also an informal way some people say it.