"wear the trousers" meaning in English

See wear the trousers in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Forms: wears the trousers [present, singular, third-person], wearing the trousers [participle, present], wore the trousers [past], worn the trousers [participle, past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|wear<,,wore,worn> the trousers}} wear the trousers (third-person singular simple present wears the trousers, present participle wearing the trousers, simple past wore the trousers, past participle worn the trousers)
  1. (British, idiomatic) (typically of a woman) To be the dominant partner in a relationship. Tags: British, idiomatic Categories (topical): Gender, Human behaviour Synonyms: rule the roost, wear the breeches, wear the pants [US] Translations (to be the dominant partner): տան գլուխը լինել (tan gluxə linel) (Armenian), portar els pantalons (Catalan), tenir la paella pel mànec (Catalan), 掌权 (zhǎngquán) (Chinese Mandarin), 当家 (dāngjiā) (Chinese Mandarin), rozhodovat [imperfective] (Czech), nosit kalhoty [imperfective, uncommon] (Czech), have bukserne på (Danish), de broek aanhebben (Dutch), määrätä (Finnish), näyttää kaapin paikka (Finnish), porter la culotte (French), porter le pantalon (French), die Hosen anhaben (German), viseli a nadrágot (Hungarian), ha buksene på (Norwegian Bokmål), mandar na casa (Portuguese), purta pantalonii (Romanian), fi cocoș în casă (Romanian), fi capul familiei (Romanian), верхово́дить в до́ме (verxovóditʹ v dóme) (Russian), быть в до́ме хозя́ином (bytʹ v dóme xozjáinom) (Russian), llevar los pantalones (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-wear_the_trousers-en-verb-lAQWj2oc Disambiguation of Gender: 86 14 Disambiguation of Human behaviour: 56 44 Categories (other): British English, English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with language name categories using raw markup, English entries with topic categories using raw markup, English predicates, English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 67 33 Disambiguation of English entries with language name categories using raw markup: 78 22 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 77 23 Disambiguation of English predicates: 74 26 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 71 29 Disambiguation of 'to be the dominant partner': 93 7
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see wear, trouser. Related terms: the grey mare is the better horse
    Sense id: en-wear_the_trousers-en-verb-I4hyNLdH

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for wear the trousers meaning in English (6.3kB)

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "wears the trousers",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wearing the trousers",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wore the trousers",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "worn the trousers",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "wear<,,wore,worn> the trousers"
      },
      "expansion": "wear the trousers (third-person singular simple present wears the trousers, present participle wearing the trousers, simple past wore the trousers, past participle worn the trousers)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "British English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "67 33",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "78 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "74 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English predicates",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "71 29",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "86 14",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Gender",
          "orig": "en:Gender",
          "parents": [
            "Biology",
            "Psychology",
            "Sociology",
            "Sciences",
            "Social sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Society",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "56 44",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Human behaviour",
          "orig": "en:Human behaviour",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1987, Martin L. Gore (lyrics and music), “Never Let Me Down Again”, in Music for the Masses, performed by Depeche Mode",
          "text": "As long as I remember who's wearing the trousers / I hope he never lets me down again",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1988, John Rowan, Windy Dryden, Innovative Therapy in Britain, page 246",
          "text": "His mother wore the trousers, and father, a gentle man who worked in local government, was not ambitious enough for her.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "(typically of a woman) To be the dominant partner in a relationship."
      ],
      "id": "en-wear_the_trousers-en-verb-lAQWj2oc",
      "links": [
        [
          "woman",
          "woman"
        ],
        [
          "dominant",
          "dominant"
        ],
        [
          "partner",
          "partner"
        ],
        [
          "relationship",
          "relationship"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(British, idiomatic) (typically of a woman) To be the dominant partner in a relationship."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "rule the roost"
        },
        {
          "word": "wear the breeches"
        },
        {
          "tags": [
            "US"
          ],
          "word": "wear the pants"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "hy",
          "lang": "Armenian",
          "roman": "tan gluxə linel",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "տան գլուխը լինել"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "portar els pantalons"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "tenir la paella pel mànec"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "zhǎngquán",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "掌权"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "dāngjiā",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "当家"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "rozhodovat"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective",
            "uncommon"
          ],
          "word": "nosit kalhoty"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "have bukserne på"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "de broek aanhebben"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "määrätä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "näyttää kaapin paikka"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "porter la culotte"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "porter le pantalon"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "die Hosen anhaben"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "viseli a nadrágot"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "ha buksene på"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "mandar na casa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "purta pantalonii"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "fi cocoș în casă"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "fi capul familiei"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "verxovóditʹ v dóme",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "верхово́дить в до́ме"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bytʹ v dóme xozjáinom",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "быть в до́ме хозя́ином"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "93 7",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
          "word": "llevar los pantalones"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see wear, trouser."
      ],
      "id": "en-wear_the_trousers-en-verb-I4hyNLdH",
      "links": [
        [
          "wear",
          "wear#English"
        ],
        [
          "trouser",
          "trouser#English"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "10 90",
          "word": "the grey mare is the better horse"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "wear the trousers"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English predicates",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "English verbs",
    "en:Gender",
    "en:Human behaviour"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "wears the trousers",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wearing the trousers",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "wore the trousers",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "worn the trousers",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "wear<,,wore,worn> the trousers"
      },
      "expansion": "wear the trousers (third-person singular simple present wears the trousers, present participle wearing the trousers, simple past wore the trousers, past participle worn the trousers)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "the grey mare is the better horse"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "British English",
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1987, Martin L. Gore (lyrics and music), “Never Let Me Down Again”, in Music for the Masses, performed by Depeche Mode",
          "text": "As long as I remember who's wearing the trousers / I hope he never lets me down again",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1988, John Rowan, Windy Dryden, Innovative Therapy in Britain, page 246",
          "text": "His mother wore the trousers, and father, a gentle man who worked in local government, was not ambitious enough for her.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "(typically of a woman) To be the dominant partner in a relationship."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "woman",
          "woman"
        ],
        [
          "dominant",
          "dominant"
        ],
        [
          "partner",
          "partner"
        ],
        [
          "relationship",
          "relationship"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(British, idiomatic) (typically of a woman) To be the dominant partner in a relationship."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "rule the roost"
        },
        {
          "word": "wear the breeches"
        },
        {
          "tags": [
            "US"
          ],
          "word": "wear the pants"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see wear, trouser."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "wear",
          "wear#English"
        ],
        [
          "trouser",
          "trouser#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "hy",
      "lang": "Armenian",
      "roman": "tan gluxə linel",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "տան գլուխը լինել"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "portar els pantalons"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "tenir la paella pel mànec"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "zhǎngquán",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "掌权"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "dāngjiā",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "当家"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "rozhodovat"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective",
        "uncommon"
      ],
      "word": "nosit kalhoty"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "have bukserne på"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "de broek aanhebben"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "määrätä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "näyttää kaapin paikka"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "porter la culotte"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "porter le pantalon"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "die Hosen anhaben"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "viseli a nadrágot"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "ha buksene på"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "mandar na casa"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "purta pantalonii"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "fi cocoș în casă"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "fi capul familiei"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "verxovóditʹ v dóme",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "верхово́дить в до́ме"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bytʹ v dóme xozjáinom",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "быть в до́ме хозя́ином"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to be the dominant partner",
      "word": "llevar los pantalones"
    }
  ],
  "word": "wear the trousers"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.