skirts and kilts

I. skirt¹ S3 /skɜːt $ skɜːrt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old Norse; Origin: skyrta 'shirt']
1. a piece of outer clothing worn by women and girls, which hangs down from the waist like the bottom part of a dress:
She wore a white blouse and a plain black skirt.
leather/pleated/cotton etc skirt
a green velvet skirt
short/long skirt
a short skirt and high heels
2. (also skirts [plural]) old-fashioned the part of a dress or coat that hangs down from the waist
3. the skirts of a forest/hill/village etc British English the outside edge of a forest etc SYN outskirts
4. a bit of skirt British English informal not polite an offensive expression meaning an attractive woman
II. skirt² BrE AmE (also skirt around/round) verb [transitive]
1. to go around the outside edge of a place or area:
The old footpath skirts around the village.
2. to avoid talking about an important subject, especially because it is difficult or embarrassing – used to show disapproval:
a disappointing speech that skirted around all the main issues

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

skirt

skirt [skirt skirts skirted skirting] noun, verb [skɜːt] [skɜːrt]

noun

1. countable a piece of clothing for a woman or girl that hangs from the waist

• a long/short/straight/pleated, etc. skirt

2. countable (also skirts plural) the part of a dress, coat, etc. that hangs below the waist

3. countable an outer covering or part used to protect the base of a vehicle or machine
• the rubber skirt around the bottom of a hovercraft
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old Norse skyrta ‘shirt’; compare with synonymous Old English scyrte, also with short. The verb dates from the early 17th cent.
Example Bank:
• Her skirt rode up her thighs when she sat down.
• I lifted the hem of my skirt.
• I've worn both skirt suits and pant suits to interviews.
• She sat down, smoothing her skirt.
• She sat down, smoothing the skirt of her dress.
• She tucked up her voluminous skirts to make room for Jane beside her.
• She was wearing a short denim skirt.
• She wore the plaid skirt that was the uniform of her private school.
• The skirt falls just above the knee.

• a green jacket with a matching skirt

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

skirt / skɜːt / / skɝːt / noun [ C ]

A1 a piece of clothing for women and girls that hangs from the waist and does not have legs:

a long/short skirt

an outer covering or part to protect particular machines

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

skirt

/skɜ:(r)t/
(skirts, skirting, skirted)

1.
A skirt is a piece of clothing worn by women and girls. It fastens at the waist and hangs down around the legs.
N-COUNT

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

¹skirt /ˈskɚt/ noun, pl skirts [count]
1 a : a piece of clothing worn by women and girls that hangs from the waist down
• She was wearing a short/long skirt.
- see color picture
- see also miniskirt
b : the part of a dress, coat, etc., that hangs from the waist down
• The skirt of her coat got caught in the car door.
- sometimes plural
• He gathered up the skirts of his robe as he climbed the stairs.
• a dress with full skirts
2 : an outer covering that hangs down to protect something
• They put a protective skirt around the base of the machine.