Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Pannier \Pan"nier\, n. [F. panier, fr. L. panarium a bread
   basket, fr. panis bread. Cf. {Pantry}.]
   1. A bread basket; also, a wicker basket (used commonly in
      pairs) for carrying fruit or other things on a horse or an
      ass --Hudibras.

   2. (Mil. Antiq.) A shield of basket work formerly used by
      archers as a shelter from the enemy's missiles.

   3. A table waiter at the Inns of Court, London.

   4. A framework of steel or whalebone, worn by women to expand
      their dresses; a kind of bustle.

Source : WordNet®

pannier
     n 1: a large wicker basket (usually one of a pair)
     2: set of small hoops used to add fullness over the hips