dirndl

American  

[durn-dl] / ˈdɜrn dl /

noun

1. a woman's dress with a close-fitting bodice and full skirt, commonly of colorful and strikingly patterned material, fashioned after Tyrolean peasant wear.

2. a full, gathered skirt attached to a waistband or hip yoke.

3. any skirt with gathers at the waistband.

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dirndl British  

/ ˈdɜːndəl /

noun

1. a woman's dress with a full gathered skirt and fitted bodice; originating from Tyrolean peasant wear

2. a gathered skirt of this kind

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Etymology

Origin of dirndl

1935–40; < German Dirndl, short for Dirndlkleid, equivalent to Dirndl young woman (originally Bavarian, Austrian dialect, diminutive of Dirne young woman, Middle High German dierne, Old High German thiorna; akin to thane ) + Kleid dress ( see cloth)

Example Sentences

Although dirndl dresses and lederhosen prevailed at Oktoberfest, attended by about 60 people, Nature Friends is not a German social club but rather a haven for lovers of nature, art and culture.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

Among the outfits displayed are a pink tulle dress designed by Molly Goddard, a clown costume and a Bavarian dirndl dress and pig's mask combination.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2022

Before the election, Ms. Schulze had campaigned in her dirndl, winning over voters with her political motto: “Saving the world pragmatically — one step at a time.”

From New York Times • Nov. 27, 2018

There’s candy and candles, hats and tchotchkes; you can get your photo taken in a dirndl with an accordion in your arms, or ride in a carriage hauled by a horse round and round.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 27, 2018

The skirt was a green dirndl with tiny black, white and electric-blue shapes swarming across it, and it stuck out like a lampshade.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

Related Words

• dress
• kilt
• petticoat
• sarong