necropants

nec·ro·pants
N1E1C3R1O1P3A1N1T1S1
/ˈnɛkɹoʊˌpænts/

noun

A pair of pants made from the skin of the lower half (below the waist) of a dead man, used by medieval Icelandic sorcerers to obtain money.

OriginIcelandic nábrók →
Scrabble 14
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Meanings

nounnecropants pl (plural only)
  1. historicalpluralplural onlyA pair of pants made from the skin of the lower half (below the waist) of a dead man, used by medieval Icelandic sorcerers to obtain money.

    […] make sure you wear your new necropants under your regular pants.

    2013, Kathy Benjamin, Funerals to Die For, →ISBN, page 208
    2 more examples

    Most of the occult practices they were accused of were simply old Viking traditions, though the necropants (see right) and grimoires (magic books) on display were proof enough for the local witch-hunters.

    2007, Iceland, →ISBN, page 192

    These people do not know about the rich tradition of necropants, a wealth-attracting good-luck garment.

    2016, Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders, →ISBN

Origin

  1. Icelandicnábrók
  2. Englishnecropants

From necro- + pants, a calque of Icelandic nábrók.

More words from Icelandic

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“necropants.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/necropants. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “necropants,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/necropants.

Source: necropants on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.