• enPR: pănt, IPA: /pænt/

pant (plural pants)

1. A quick breathing; a catching of the breath; a gasp.
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, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [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.

• French: halètement
• German: keuchen
• Italian: ansito, anelito, palpito, respiro affannoso, fiatone
• Portuguese: ofego, arfagem
• Russian: пыхте́ние
• Spanish: jadeo

• Italian: palpito, pulsazione, tachicardia, batticuore, palpitazione, cardiopalmo
• Spanish: palpitación

pant (pants, present participle panting; 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.

   • Pluto pants for breath from out his cell.

   • 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: Printed [by Thomas Parker] for G. Fenton [i.e., Fenton and Ralph Griffiths] […], OCLC 731622352 ↗:

     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), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Psalms 42:1 ↗:

     As the hart panteth after the water brooks.

   • 1733-1738, Alexander Pope, Imitations of Horace:

     Who pants for glory finds but short repose.

3. (transitive, obsolete) To long for (something); to be eager for (something).

   • Then shall our hearts pant thee.

4. (intransitive) Of the heart, to beat with unnatural violence or rapidity; to palpitate.
5. (intransitive) To sigh; to flutter; to languish.
   • 1709, Alexander Pope, Pastorals, Winter:

     The whispering 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.

• (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

• French: haleter
• German: hecheln, keuchen, schnaufen
• Italian: ansare, ansimare, boccheggiare
• Portuguese: ofegar, arfar, arquejar
• Russian: пыхте́ть
• Spanish: jadear

• French: désirer
• Italian: desiderare, anelare, aspirare, bramare
• Portuguese: ansiar
• Spanish: anhelar, ansiar, desear

• Italian: struggersi
• Portuguese: arquejar

• French: palpiter
• Italian: palpitare, pulsare
• Portuguese: palpitar
• Russian: трепета́ть
• Spanish: palpitar

• Italian: adulare, blandire, sospirare
• Russian: тоскова́ть

pant (plural pants)

1. (fashion) A pair of pants (trousers or underpants).
2. (used attributively as a modifier) Of or relating to pants.

   Pant leg

pant (plural pants)

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

1. Surname
2. A river in Essex, England, which forms the upper part of the Blackwater.
3. A village in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales (OS grid ref SO0609).
4. A village in Shropshire, England, on the border with Wales (OS grid ref SJ2722).