pant

See also: pánt, Pant, and pant-

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:

pant

Wikipedia

Pronunciation

• enPR: pănt, IPA^(key): /pænt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ænt

Etymology 1

From Middle English panten, whence also English dialectal pank.

Possibly from Old French pantoyer, a byform or of Old French pantoisier (“to be breathless”) (compare modern French panteler (“to gasp for breath”)), of uncertain origin. Possibly from Vulgar Latin *pantasiō (“struggling for breath when having a nightmare”), from Ancient Greek φαντασιόω (phantasióō, “I am subject to hallucinations”), from φαντασία (phantasía, “appearance, image, fantasy”).

Noun

pant (plural pants)

1. A quick breathing; a catching of the breath; a gasp: the panting of animals such as a dog with their tong hung out- as a form of thermoregulation.
2. (figurative) Eager longing.
   • 1995, John C. Leggett, Suzanne Malm, The Eighteen Stages of Love, page 9:

     Indeed, the projections, cravings, and everyday frolics common to trysts among buzz-activist Hollywood stars and starlets, plus their many common folk imitators, go forward with eager pant.

3. (obsolete) A violent palpitation of the heart.
   • c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene viii], page 360, column 2:

     To this great fairy I'll commend thy acts, / Make her thanks bless thee. O thou day o' the world, / Chain mine arm'd neck; leap thou, attire and all; / Through proof of harness to my heart, and there / Ride on the pants triumphing.

Derived terms

• pant-hoot

Translations

a quick breathing

Bulgarian: задъхване n (zadǎhvane), пъхтене n (pǎhtene) Catalan: esbufec m, panteix (ca) m Chinese: Mandarin: 呼吸 (zh) (hūxī), 喘急 (zh) (chuǎn jí) Czech: lapání po dechu, supot m, funění n, zrychlený dech Dutch: gehijg (nl) Esperanto: anhelo Finnish: huohotus (fi), puuskutus (fi) French: halètement (fr) m Galician: ampeo m, alasamento m German: keuchen (de) Icelandic: más Italian: ansito m, anelito (it) m, palpito (it) m, respiro affannoso m, fiatone (it) m Japanese: 息切れ (ja) (いきぎれ, ikigire) Maori: whakaaeaeā, kahekahe Ottoman Turkish: صولوق (soluk) Portuguese: ofego (pt) m, arfagem f Russian: пыхте́ние (ru) n (pyxténije), оды́шка (ru) f (odýška) (dyspnea) Scottish Gaelic: plosg m, plosgadh m Spanish: jadeo (es) m Swedish: flämtning (sv) c Tagalog: paghingal

a violent palpitation of the heart

Bulgarian: силно сърцебиене (silno sǎrcebiene) Finnish: läpätys (fi) French: palpitation (fr) f Galician: latexo (gl) m, arfada f Italian: palpito (it) m, pulsazione (it) f, tachicardia (it) f, batticuore (it) m, palpitazione (it) f, cardiopalmo (it) Scottish Gaelic: plosg m, plosgadh m Spanish: palpitación f

References

• “pant”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2025), “pant”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Verb

pant (third-person singular simple present pants, present participle panting, simple past and past participle panted)

1. (ambitransitive) To breathe quickly or in a labored manner, as after exertion or from eagerness or excitement; to respire with heaving of the breast; to gasp.
   • 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:

     Pluto pants for breath from out his cell.

   • 1820, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Prometheus Unbound:

     There is a cavern where my spirit / Was panted forth in anguish.

   • 1749, [John Cleland], “(Please specify the letter or volume)”, in Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [Fanny Hill], London: […] [Thomas Parker] for G. Fenton [i.e., Fenton and Ralph Griffiths] […], →OCLC:

     Charles had just slipp'd the bolt of the door, and running, caught me in his arms, and lifting me from the ground, with his lips glew'd to mine, bore me, trembling, panting, dying, with soft fears and tender wishes, to the bed

2. (intransitive) To long eagerly; to desire earnestly.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 42:1:

     As the hart panteth after the water brooks.

   • 1733–1737, Alexander Pope, [Imitations of Horace], London: […] R[obert] Dodsley [et al.]:
3. (transitive, obsolete) To long for (something); to be eager for (something).
   • 1633, George Herbert, Love:

     Then shall our hearts pant thee.

4. (intransitive) Of the heart, to beat with unnatural violence or rapidity; to palpitate.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     Yet might her piteous heart be seen to pant and quake

5. (intransitive) To sigh; to flutter; to languish.
   • 1709 May, Alexander Pope, “Pastorals. The Fourth Pastoral, or Daphne. […]”, in Poetical Miscellanies: The Sixth Part. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 750:

     [T]he whiſp'ring Breeze / Pants on the Leaves, and dies upon the Trees.

6. (intransitive) To heave, as the breast.
7. (intransitive) To bulge and shrink successively, of iron hulls, etc.

Synonyms

• (breathe quickly or in a labored manner): gasp
• (long for): crave, desire, long for, pine for
• (long eagerly): crave, desire, long, pine
• (of the heart, to beat with unnatural violence): palpitate, pound, throb

Translations

to breathe quickly or in a labored manner

Albanian: dihat (sq) Bulgarian: пъхтя (bg) (pǎhtja), задъхвам се (zadǎhvam se) Catalan: panteixar (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: 喘氣 / 喘气 (zh) (chuǎnqì), 喘息 (zh) (chuǎnxí), 氣喘吁吁 (zh) (qìchuǎnxūxū) Czech: supět (cs) impf, funět impf, ztěžka/zrychleně dýchat (cs) impf Dutch: hijgen (nl) Esperanto: anheli (eo) Finnish: huohottaa, läähättää (fi), puuskuttaa (fi) French: haleter (fr) Galician: abarquiñar (gl), acorar (gl), arfar (gl), alasar (gl), ampear (gl) German: hecheln (de), keuchen (de), schnaufen (de) Greek: αγκομαχάω (el) (agkomacháo), λαχανιάζω (el) (lachaniázo) Ancient Greek: ἀσπαίρω (aspaírō) Hungarian: liheg (hu), zihál (hu) Icelandic: mása Italian: ansare (it), ansimare (it), boccheggiare (it) Japanese: 喘ぐ (ja) (あえぐ, aegu) Latin: anhēlō Luxembourgish: hechelen Maori: kahekahe, kuhakuha, whakahotuhotu, huatare, whakaaeaea, taretare, tūngāngā, kihakiha Old English: sworettan Ottoman Turkish: صولومق (solumak) Persian: رخیدن (fa) (raxidan) Polish: dyszeć (pl) Portuguese: ofegar (pt), arfar (pt), arquejar (pt) Russian: пыхте́ть (ru) impf (pyxtétʹ), задыха́ться (ru) impf (zadyxátʹsja) (to choke), запыха́ться (ru) impf (zapyxátʹsja), запы́хаться (ru) pf (zapýxatʹsja) Scottish Gaelic: plosg Spanish: jadear (es), harbar (es), acezar (es), resollar (es), resolgar (es) Swedish: flämta (sv), flåsa (sv) Tagalog: hingalin Walloon: panti (wa), haner (wa)

long for (something); be eager for (something)

Bulgarian: копнея (bg) (kopneja) Czech: toužit (cs) Finnish: kaivata (fi) French: désirer (fr) Hungarian: vágyik (hu), vágyódik (hu), sóvárog (hu) Italian: desiderare (it), anelare (it), aspirare (it), bramare (it) Portuguese: ansiar (pt) Spanish: anhelar (es), ansiar (es), desear (es)

intransitive: long eagerly

Czech: toužit (cs) Italian: struggersi (it) Portuguese: arquejar (pt)

of the heart, to beat with unnatural violence

Bulgarian: разтупквам се (raztupkvam se) Czech: tepat impf, bušit (cs) impf Finnish: läpättää (fi), hakata (fi) French: palpiter (fr) Italian: palpitare (it), pulsare (it) Portuguese: palpitar (pt) Russian: трепета́ть (ru) impf (trepetátʹ), колоти́ться (ru) impf (kolotítʹsja) Scottish Gaelic: plosg Spanish: palpitar (es)

sigh; flutter; languish

Italian: adulare (it), blandire (it), sospirare (it) Russian: тоскова́ть (ru) impf (toskovátʹ) (по (po) - for), томи́ться (ru) impf (tomítʹsja) (по (po) - for)

Etymology 2

From pants.

Noun

pant (plural pants)

1. (fashion) A pair of pants (trousers or underpants).
2. (attributive) Of or relating to pants.

   pant leg

Derived terms

• bepanted
• half-pant
• pant cuff
• panted
• pant leg
• pantsuit, pant suit
• pant-wetting
• panty, panties

Translations

a pair of pants — see pants

Etymology 3

Unknown

Noun

pant (plural pants)

1. (Scotland and northeast England) Any public drinking fountain.

References

• OED 2nd edition

See also

• Pont-y-pant

Anagrams

• APTN, NAPT, NPTA

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from German Band (“band, belt”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈpant]

Noun

pant m inan

1. hinge

Declension

Declension of pant (hard masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	pant	panty
genitive	pantu	pantů
dative	pantu	pantům
accusative	pant	panty
vocative	pante	panty
locative	pantě, pantu	pantech
instrumental	pantem	panty

Further reading

• “pant”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

Danish

Noun

pant

1. a deposit (on packaging such as bottles and cans)

Derived terms

• dåsepant, flaskepant

See also

• depositum (deposit on a rented home)

Estonian

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle Low German pant. Compare Finnish pantti, Ingrian pantti.

Noun

pant (genitive pandi, partitive panti)

1. pledge (security to payment)

Declension

Declension of pant (ÕS type 22e/riik, t-d gradation)
		singular	plural
nominative		pant	pandid
accusative	nom.
	gen.	pandi
genitive			pantide
partitive		panti	pante pantisid
illative		panti pandisse	pantidesse pandesse
inessive		pandis	pantides pandes
elative		pandist	pantidest pandest
allative		pandile	pantidele pandele
adessive		pandil	pantidel pandel
ablative		pandilt	pantidelt pandelt
translative		pandiks	pantideks pandeks
terminative		pandini	pantideni
essive		pandina	pantidena
abessive		pandita	pantideta
comitative		pandiga	pantidega

Related terms

• pantima
• pantimine

References

• pant in Sõnaveeb (Eesti Keele Instituut)
• “pant”, in [EKSS] Eesti keele seletav sõnaraamat [Descriptive Dictionary of the Estonian Language] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2009

Icelandic

Etymology

Childish alteration of panta (“to reserve”).

Verb

pant (defective verb)

1. (colloquial, childish) I call dibs! (used when claiming a right to be the first or only one to do something)

   Pant velja tónlistina. ― I call dibs on choosing the music.

   Ég pant vera R2-D2, þú mátt vera C3PO. ― I call dibs on being R2-D2, you can be C3PO.

Middle English

Verb

pant

1. alternative form of panten

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Middle Low German pant and Old Norse pantr.

Noun

pant n (definite singular pantet, indefinite plural pant, definite plural panta or pantene)

1. pawn (item sold to a pawn shop)
2. a mortgage
3. security (on a loan)
4. a forfeit (in a game)
5. a pledge

Related terms

• pantelån
• pantelåner
• pantsette

Noun

pant m (definite singular panten, indefinite plural panter, definite plural pantene)

1. a (refundable) deposit (e.g. on bottles)

References

• “pant” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Middle Low German pant and Old Norse pantr.

Noun

pant n (definite singular pantet, indefinite plural pant, definite plural panta)

1. pawn (item sold to a pawn shop)
2. a mortgage
3. security (on a loan)
4. a forfeit (in a game)
5. a pledge

Related terms

• pantelån

Noun

pant m (definite singular panten, indefinite plural pantar, definite plural pantane)

1. a (refundable) deposit (e.g. on bottles)

References

• “pant” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Borrowed from Austrian German Band.

Noun

pȁnt m inan (Cyrillic spelling па̏нт)

1. hinge

Declension

Declension of pant

	singular	plural
nominative	pȁnt	panti
genitive	panta	panta
dative	pantu	pantima
accusative	pant	pante
vocative	pantu	panti
locative	pante	pantima
instrumental	pantom	pantima

Swedish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Swedish panter (“deposit”). From Middle Low German pant and Old Norse pantr. According to SO attested since the early half of the 14th century.

Noun

pant c

1. pledge, pawn, item deposited at a pawnshop or otherwise given as a security
2. container deposit, an addition to the price of an article returned when its container is returned to a collection point for re-use
3. (by extension) item that has container deposit
   • 2022 September 26, Rikard Ljungqvist, “Kastade pant från femte våningen mot värdens personal – därför slipper hon vräkning”, in Hem & Hyra‎:

     Kastade pant från femte våningen mot värdens personal

     Threw bottles and cans from the fifth floor at the lessor's staff

Declension

Declension of pant

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	pant	pants
	definite	panten	pantens
plural	indefinite	panter	panters
	definite	panterna	panternas

Derived terms

(pledge, pawn):

• pantbank (“pawnshop”)
• pantkvitto (“pawn ticket”)
• pantsedel (“pawn ticket”)

(container deposit):

• backpant (“crate deposit”)
• burkpant (“can deposit”)
• flaskpant (“bottle deposit”)
• pantautomat (“reverse vending machine”)
• pantback (“crate with deposit”)
• pantburk (“can with deposit”)
• pantflaska (“bottle with deposit”)
• pantkvitto (“deposit reciept”)
• pantmaskin (“reverse vending machine”)
• pantrum (“reverse vending machine backroom”)
• pantstation (“reverse vending machine”)

See also

• panta (“to pawn”)

References

• pant in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• pant in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Welsh

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *kʷantyos "flat hill", compare Pictish ᚘᚐᚅᚈ (pant, “hollow”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pant/
• Rhymes: -ant

Noun

pant m (plural pantiau)

1. hollow, depression, small valley, dingle, dell

Derived terms

• i bant
• bant

Mutation

Mutated forms of pant

radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
pant	bant	mhant	phant

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

References

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “pant”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies