Skirt
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: /skÉœËt/
- US IPA: /skɜ˞t/
- Rhymes: -ÉœË(r)t
Origin
From Old Norse skyrta, from Proto-Germanic *skurtijÇ. Compare shirt.
Full definition of skirt
Noun
skirt
(plural skirts)- An article of clothing, usually worn by women and girls, that hangs from the waist and covers the lower part of the body.
- circa 1907 O. Henry, The Purple Dress:"I like purple best," said Maida. "And old Schlegel has promised to make it for $8. It's going to be lovely. I'm going to have a plaited skirt and a blouse coat trimmed with a band of galloon under a white cloth collar with two rows of—"
- The part of a dress or robe that hangs below the waist.
- 1885, Ada S. Ballin, The Science of Dress in Theory and Practice, Chapter XI:The petticoats and skirts ordinarily worn are decidedly the heaviest part of the dress ; hence it is necessary that some reform should be effected in these.
- A loose edging to any part of a dress.
- AddisonA narrow lace, or a small skirt of ruffled linen, which runs along the upper part of the stays before, and crosses the breast, being a part of the tucker, is called the modesty piece.
- A petticoat.
- (pejorative, slang) A woman.
- 1931, Robert E. Howard, Alleys of Peril:"Mate," said the Cockney, after we'd finished about half the bottle, "it comes to me that we're a couple o' blightin' idjits to be workin' for a skirt.""What d'ya mean?" I asked, taking a pull at the bottle."Well, 'ere's us, two red-blooded 'e-men, takin' orders from a lousy little frail, 'andin' the swag h'over to 'er, and takin' wot she warnts to 'and us, w'en we could 'ave the 'ole lot. Take this job 'ere now--"
- (UK, colloquial) Women collectively, in a sexual context.
- (UK, colloquial) Sexual intercourse with a woman.
- Border; edge; margin; extreme part of anything.
- ShakespeareHere in the skirts of the forest.
- The diaphragm, or midriff, in animals.
Usage notes
(article of clothing) It was formerly common to speak of “skirts†(plural) rather than “a skirtâ€. In some cases this served to emphasize an array of skirts of underskirts, or of pleats and folds in a single skirt; in other cases it made little or no difference in meaning.
Derived terms
Verb
- To be on or form the border of.The plain was skirted by rows of trees.
- To move around or along the border of; to avoid the center of.
- 1922, Virginia Woolf, Jacob's Room Chapter 1An enormous man and woman (it was early-closing day) were stretched motionless, with their heads on pocket-handkerchiefs, side by side, within a few feet of the sea, while two or three gulls gracefully skirted the incoming waves, and settled near their boots.
- 2013-06-01, Ideas coming down the track, A “moving platform†scheme...is more technologically ambitious than maglev trains even though it relies on conventional rails. Local trains would use side-by-side rails to roll alongside intercity trains and allow passengers to switch trains by stepping through docking bays. … This would also let high-speed trains skirt cities as moving platforms ferry passengers to and from the city centre.
- To cover with a skirt; to surround.
- Miltonskirted his loins and thighs with downy gold