gaiter

[gey-ter]

noun

a covering of cloth or leather for the ankle and instep and sometimes also the lower leg, worn over the shoe or boot.Compare upper¹(def 7).

a cloth or leather shoe with elastic insertions at the sides.

an overshoe with a fabric top.

Origin of gaiter

1765–75; < French guêtre, Middle French guiestre, guestre, perhaps < Frankish *wrist, cognate with German Rist ankle, wrist. See wrist

Related formsgai·ter·less, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gaiter

Historical Examples of gaiter

The cord should be slack, and that will admit of the gaiter coming off.
The Humbugs of the World
P. T. Barnum
Turning the gaiter over in his dark hands, he meekly assented.
Explorers of the Dawn
Mazo de la Roche
He is nothing but a Russian corporal, occupied with a boot-heel and a gaiter button.
The Memoirs of Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Mr. Thatcher rapped his gaiter and looked before him into the fire.
Through Welsh Doorways
Jeannette Augustus Marks
Miss Adams stood tapping the toe of her gaiter with her riding whip.
Bessie at the Sea-Side
Joanna Mathews

British Dictionary definitions for gaiter

gaiter

noun (often plural)

a cloth or leather covering for the leg or ankle buttoned on one side and usually strapped under the foot

Also called: spat a similar covering extending from the ankle to the instep

a waterproof covering for the ankle worn by climbers and walkers to prevent snow, mud, or gravel entering over the top of the boot

Derived Formsgaiterless, adjective

Word Origin for gaiter

C18: from French guêtre, probably of Germanic origin and related to wrist

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for gaiter

"leather cover for the ankle," 1775, perhaps from French guêtre "belonging to peasant attire," from Middle French *guestre, probably from Frankish *wrist "instep," from Proto-Germanic *wirstiz (cf. German Rist "instep;" see wrist). Related: Gaiters.