boxer shorts

noun

Loose shorts worn as underwear by men.

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Meanings

nounboxer shorts pl (plural only, attributive boxer-short or boxer short)

attributive boxer-short · attributive boxer short · alternative uncommon boxer short

  1. pluralplural onlyLoose shorts worn as underwear by men.

    The average man's wardrobe holds eight pairs of boxer shorts or briefs; the average woman's, twice as many undies.

    1985 April 29, New York Magazine, page 28
    2 more examples

    In 1925, boxer shorts were unleashed on the world: loose-fitting underwear for men, featuring an elastic waistband inspired by the shorts worn by boxers. It was underwear for the inner pugilist.

    2018 August 9, Alan Burdick, “Science has Resolved the Question of Boxers vs. Briefs”, in The New Yorker, archived from the original on 09 Nov 2020

    Bosun grabbed the car key on the bookshelf in his bedroom and ran to the door, only to realize at the door that he should not go to the state police headquarters in boxer shorts, socks, and this white V-neck shirt.

    2020, Feyisayo Anjorin, One Week in the Life of a Hypocrite, page 59

Origin

Named after the shorts worn by those who engage in boxing, as their elasticity is comparable to that of what boxers must wear for unhindered leg movement.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans bokserbroek
  • bokserbroekunderwear
Chinese Mandarin 平角褲 /平角裤, 四角褲 /四角裤
  • 平角褲 /平角裤 (píngjiǎokù)underwear
  • 四角褲 /四角裤 (sìjiǎokù)underwear
  • 四角內褲 /四角内裤 (sìjiǎonèikù)underwear
Czech boxerky
  • boxerkyunderwear
Dutch boxershort, boxer
  • boxershortunderwear
  • boxerunderwear
Finnish bokserit
  • bokseritunderwear
French caleçon
  • caleçonunderwear
German Boxershorts
  • Boxershortsunderwear
Irish fobhríste dornálaí
  • fobhríste dornálaíunderwear
Polish bokserki
  • bokserkiunderwear
Portuguese samba-canção, boxers
  • samba-cançãounderwear
  • boxersunderwear
Russian семе́йные
  • семе́йные (seméjnyje)underwear
Spanish bóxer
  • bóxerunderwear
Swedish boxershorts, boxerkalsonger
  • boxershortsunderwear
  • boxerkalsongerunderwear
  • boxerunderwear
Turkish baksır, paçalı don
  • baksırunderwear
  • paçalı donunderwear
Cite this entry
APA

boxer shorts. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/boxer%20shorts

MLA

“boxer shorts.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/boxer%20shorts. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “boxer shorts,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/boxer%20shorts.

Source: boxer shorts on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.