noun
close-fitting trousers; long underpants; long johns
Traditional Japanese close-fitting trousers reaching from the waist to the ankles, worn as work pants or as thermal underwear. The term can refer to both the traditional garment and modern long underpants.
寒い日は股引をはいて出かける。
On cold days, I go out wearing long underpants.
祖父は畑仕事のとき、いつも股引をはいていた。
My grandfather always wore close-fitting work trousers when working in the fields.
Kana spelling; common in everyday writing when the kanji is not needed.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; sometimes used for clarity.
Compound of 股 (momo, 'thigh') + 引き (hiki, 'pulling'), referring to trousers that are pulled up and fit closely around the thighs. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used since the Edo period for close-fitting lower-body garments.