skirt
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: skû(r)t
ipa: /skɜːt/
enpr: skûrt
ipa: /skɚt/
rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)t
Forms: form: skirts
Etymology: From Middle English skyrte, from Old Norse skyrta, from Proto-Germanic *skurtijǭ. Doublet of shirt. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Skoarte (“apron”), Dutch schort (“apron”), German Schürze (“apron”), Danish skørt (“skirt”), Swedish skört (“hem of a jacket”), Norwegian skjørt (“skirt”).
Senses: examples: text: "I like purple best," said Maida. "And old Schlegel has promised to make it for $8. It's going to be lovely. I'm going to have a plaited skirt and a blouse coat trimmed with a band of galloon under a white cloth collar with two rows of—"
ref: c. 1907, O. Henry, The Purple Dress:
glosses: A separate article of clothing, usually worn by women and girls, that hangs from the waist and covers the lower torso and part of the legs.
examples: text: The petticoats and skirts ordinarily worn are decidedly the heaviest part of the dress ; hence it is necessary that some reform should be effected in these.
ref: 1885, Ada S. Ballin, chapter XI, in The Science of Dress in Theory and Practice:
text: “It's all clear,” he whispered. “Have you the chisel and the bags? Great Scott! Jump, Archie, jump, and I'll swing for it!”
Sherlock Holmes had sprung out and seized the intruder by the collar. The other dived down the hole, and I heard the sound of rending cloth as Jones clutched at his skirts.
ref: 1891, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Red-Headed League:
text: I had sprung to my feet. I was speaking, and yet I had prepared no words. Tarp Henry, my companion, was plucking at my skirts and I heard him whispering, "Sit down, Malone! Don't make a public ass of yourself."
ref: 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:
glosses: A similar part of a dress or robe, etc., that hangs below the waist.
examples: text: A narrow lace, or a small skirt of fine ruffled linen, which runs along the upper part of the stays before, and crosses the breast, being a part of the tucker, is called the modesty piece.
ref: July 27, 1713, Joseph Addison, The Guardian no. 118
glosses: A loose edging to any part of a dress.
glosses: A petticoat.
examples: text: "Mate," said the Cockney, after we'd finished about half the bottle, "it comes to me that we're a couple o' blightin' idjits to be workin' for a skirt."
"What d'ya mean?" I asked, taking a pull at the bottle.
"Well, 'ere's us, two red-blooded 'e-men, takin' orders from a lousy little frail, 'andin' the swag h'over to 'er, and takin' wot she warnts to 'and us, w'en we could 'ave the 'ole lot. Take this job 'ere now--"
ref: 1931, Robert E. Howard, Alleys of Peril:
text: But I tell ya, I can't help but like a guy who wants to rescue some skirt he fell for.
ref: 2004, Intelligent Systems, translated by Nintendo of America, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Nintendo, GameCube, level/area: Rogueport:
glosses: A woman.
glosses: Women collectively, in a sexual context.
glosses: Sexual intercourse with a woman.
examples: text: here in the skirts of the forest, like fringe upon a petticoat.
ref: c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
text: I am a shadow now, alas! alas! / Upon the skirts of human-nature dwelling / Alone: [...]
ref: 1820, John Keats, “Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil. A Story from Boccaccio.”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, stanza XXXIX, page 68:
text: That each, who seems a separate whole,
⁠Should move his rounds, and fusing all
⁠The skirts of self again, should fall
Remerging in the general Soul,
Is faith as vague as all unsweet: […]
ref: 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XLVI”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 69:
glosses: A border; edge; margin; extreme part of anything.
glosses: A diaphragm, or midriff.
raw_tags: of animals
Derived terms: apron skirt
bedskirt
beskirt
bit of skirt
blow one's skirt up
blow someone's skirt up
blow sunshine up someone's skirt
blow wind up someone's skirt
chase skirt
circle skirt
cling to the skirts of
divided skirt
fender skirt
fishtail skirt
flippy skirt
foreskirt
golden skirt
grass skirt
hobble skirt
hoop skirt
hula skirt
lightskirt
matchbox skirt
maxiskirt
mermaid skirt
microskirt
midiskirt
miniskirt
outskirts
overskirt
pelmet skirt
pencil skirt
pettiskirt
poodle skirt
prairie skirt
pro skirt
puffball skirt
rah-rah skirt
ra-ra skirt
red ring skirt
riding skirt
sailor skirt
scooter skirt
skirt chaser
skirt dance
skirt dancing
skirted
skirt flashing
skirt guard
skirtini
skirtless
skirtlike
skirts and kidneys
skirt steak
skirt suit
skirty
skort
sprayskirt
tube skirt
underskirt
unskirted
upskirt
waterfall skirt