skirt

[ skurt ]
See synonyms for: skirtskirtedskirting on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. the part of a gown, dress, slip, or coat that extends downward from the waist.

  2. a one-piece garment extending downward from the waist and not joined between the legs, worn especially by women and girls.

  1. some part resembling or suggesting the skirt of a garment, as the flared lip of a bell or a protective and ornamental cloth strip covering the legs of furniture.

  2. a small leather flap on each side of a saddle, covering the metal bar from which the stirrup hangs.

  3. Building Trades.

  4. Also called apron .Furniture.

    • a flat horizontal brace set immediately beneath the seat of a chair, chest of drawers, or the like, to strengthen the legs.

    • Also called bed, frieze. . a flat brace or support immediately beneath a tabletop.

  5. Usually skirts . the bordering, marginal, or outlying part of a place, group, etc.; the outskirts.

  6. Older Slang: Usually Disparaging and Offensive. a term used to refer to a woman or girl: to chase some skirt;a skirt chaser.

  7. Rocketry. an outer part of a rocket or missile that provides structural support or houses such systems as avionics or gyroscopes.

verb (used with object)
  1. to lie on or along the border of: The hills skirt the town.

  2. to border, wrap, or cover with a skirt or something suggesting a skirt in appearance or function.

  1. to pass along or around the border or edge of: Traffic skirts the town.

  2. to avoid, go around the edge of, or keep distant from (something that is controversial, risky, etc.): The senator skirted the issue.

  3. to remove low-grade wool and foreign matter from (the outer edge of fleece).

verb (used without object)
  1. to be or lie on or along the edge of something.

  2. to move along or around the border of something.

Origin of skirt

1
1250–1300; Middle English skirte<Old Norse skyrtashirt

Other words for skirt

Other words from skirt

  • skirtless, adjective
  • skirtlike, adjective
  • un·skirt·ed, adjective

Words Nearby skirt

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use skirt in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for skirt

skirt

/ (skɜːt) /


noun
  1. a garment hanging from the waist, worn chiefly by women and girls

  2. the part of a dress below the waist

  1. Also called: apron a frieze or circular flap, as round the base of a hovercraft

  2. the flaps on a saddle that protect a rider's legs

  3. British a cut of beef from the flank

  4. (often plural) a margin or outlying area

  5. NZ the lower part of a sheep's fleece

  6. bit of skirt slang a girl or woman

verb
  1. (tr) to form the edge of

  2. (tr) to provide with a border

  1. (when intr, foll by around, along, etc) to pass (by) or be situated (near) the outer edge of (an area, etc)

  2. (tr) to avoid (a difficulty, etc): he skirted the issue

  3. mainly Australian and NZ to remove the trimmings or inferior wool from (a fleece)

Origin of skirt

1
C13: from Old Norse skyrta shirt

Derived forms of skirt

  • skirted, adjective

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