skirt

[ skurt ]

/ skɜrt /

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See synonyms for: skirt / skirted / skirting on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

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

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.

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

Building Trades.

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.

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

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

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)

to lie on or along the border of: The hills skirt the town.

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

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

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

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

verb (used without object)

to be or lie on or along the edge of something.

to move along or around the border of something.

SYNONYMS FOR skirt

13 evade, shun, circle, bypass.

See synonyms for skirt on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of skirt

1250–1300; Middle English skirte<Old Norse skyrtashirt

OTHER WORDS FROM skirt

skirtless, adjectiveskirtlike, adjectiveun·skirt·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for skirt

The stretchy side skirt allows for fitting on mattresses up to 18″ deep.
The best mattress protectors for ensuring your bed lasts a long time|PopSci Commerce Team|January 19, 2021|Popular Science
Introducing Forest Star, the new collection features both activewear and tennis staples including high-neck tanks, tennis skirts, bike shorts, and hoodies.
Shop Now: Eleven Launches Pieces From 2021 Collection|Nandi Howard|January 15, 2021|Essence.com
One year later, Milbury said Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma should have “taken off his skirt and gone over there” during a skirmish in which Penguins assistant Tony Granato held Bylsma back from Flyers coach Peter Laviolette.
NBC Sports has parted ways with Mike Milbury, months after sexist on-air comment|Matt Bonesteel|January 11, 2021|Washington Post
That she can gather data like wildflowers, fill her skirts, and it will not change the fragility of history.
Dark spaces on the map|Katie McLean|December 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review

The Choe Top, in particular, is a work-appropriate T-shirt that is both stretchy and structured and looks just as sharp tucked into a tailored skirt as it does with jeans.
Gift Guide: What to wear when working from home|Rachel King|November 2, 2020|Fortune
The short-skirted purple uniform looks charming on the well-built girl with the large, sad, blue eyes.
The Stacks: The Searing Story of How Murder Stalked a Tiny New York Town|E. Jean Carroll|April 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
If this is truly the case, the E.U. will have skirted both its own rules and, by extension, Israel's Boycott Law.
Why is the E.U. So Willing to Compromise on Settlement Guidelines?|Matt Lerner|October 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
One thing the two laws would have had in common, though, is the ability to be easily skirted by gun manufacturers.
Did the Assault-Weapons Ban Kill Gun Control?|Adam Winkler|March 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“They skirted around it by saying he was a man of faith,” said “Reality Steve” Carbone, who writes about The Bachelor on his blog.
Why Did ‘The Bachelor’ Hide Sean Lowe’s Born-Again Virginity?|Ramin Setoodeh|March 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Filming stalled, then continued without him with a six-episode prequel that skirted around the titular character.
Spartacus Hero Liam McIntyre’s Unlikely Rise into the Role|Adam Auriemma|January 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
When the short-skirted, gossamer clad nymphs made their appearance on the stage they became restless and fidgety.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
In 1837 the churchyard had some pleasant walks along the sides, bounded by a low wooden fence, and skirted with trees.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
It is skirted by houses and gardens and is a valuable acquisition to the town.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
The path leading to it is over a small ledge of rock, skirted on each side by a yawning abyss.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
Immense plantations of rice, skirted by bananas and other fruit-trees, extend along the banks of the Pearl stream.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer

British Dictionary definitions for skirt

skirt

/ (skɜːt) /

noun

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

the part of a dress below the waist

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

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

British a cut of beef from the flank

(often plural) a margin or outlying area

NZ the lower part of a sheep's fleece

bit of skirt slang a girl or woman

verb

(tr) to form the edge of

(tr) to provide with a border

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

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

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

Derived forms of skirt

skirted, adjective

Word Origin for skirt

C13: from Old Norse skyrta shirt

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

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