gaiter

American  

[gey-ter] / ˈgeɪ tər /

noun

1. a covering of cloth or leather for the ankle and instep and sometimes also the lower leg, worn over the shoe or boot.

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

3. an overshoe with a fabric top.

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gaiter British  

/ ˈɡeɪtə /

noun

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

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

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

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Other Word Forms

• gaiterless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of gaiter

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

Example Sentences

Leonce Gaiter, who has written extensively on questions of race, masculinity and violence, offered this additional context for understanding white freedom and American history, in an email to Salon:

From Salon • Nov. 22, 2021

FIU wound up getting a touchdown on that drive, with Morgan finding a wide-open Gaiter for what was then a 23-3 lead.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 23, 2019

One of these days, when it seems like we’re all just too broken to heal, drive to Toms River, check out the stadium and Gaiter Way and think about it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 14, 2016

When the other guard left, investigators say Gaiter unshackled the inmate to allow him to use the bathroom.

From Washington Times • Sep. 5, 2015

Gaiter, gāt′ėr, n. a covering of cloth, &c., for the ankle, fitting down upon the shoe.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various