skirtn.
/skəːt/, U.S. /skərt/ I. The garment.
1. figurative.1857 W. T. Matson Resurgam in Poems (1858) 142 When Darkness gathers up the skirts of gloom.
a. The lower part of a woman's dress or gown, covering the person from the waist downwards; also, esp. in modern use, a separate outer garment serving this purpose. †In Middle English occasionally = lap n.1 4b. divided skirt, a form of skirt divided in the middle and presenting the appearance of full knickerbockers; also, a skirt made in two widths and open back and front, used in riding or cycling.
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the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > clothing for body or trunk (and limbs) > [noun] > clothing for lower body > skirt
gorea1250
coat1393
skirta1400
placket1547
vasquine1553
petticoata1586
vascay1609
jupe1825
jupon1851
skirty1922
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > clothing for body or trunk (and limbs) > [noun] > dress, robe, or gown > parts of > skirt(s)
skirta1400
basea1509
coat1620
tail1888
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > clothing for body or trunk (and limbs) > [noun] > clothing for lower body > skirt > parts of > lap
lapa1400
skirta1400
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > clothing for body or trunk (and limbs) > [noun] > clothing for lower body > skirt > types of > divided
divided skirt1885
culotte1911
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > clothing for body or trunk (and limbs) > [noun] > clothing for lower body > skirt > types of > other
bases1562
petticoat1661
petticoatie1796
basquine1819
gypsy skirt1871
divided skirt1885
lava-lava1891
saya1899
three-decker1909
harem skirt1910
lappa1954
skort1957
puffball1959
swirl skirt1962
longuette1970
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 8963 Sco lift hir skirt wit-vten scurn, And bar-fote wode sco þat burn.
c1440 Gesta Romanorum (Add. MS.) xlvi. 188 The woman..toke his hede into her skirthe, and he began strongely for to slepe.
c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1905) II. 398 When þe childe was born it was broght & layd in hur skurte.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Lament. i. 9 Ierusalem synned euer more & more... Hir skyrtes are defyled, she remembred not what wolde folowe.
1590 E. Spenser Faerie Queene ii. ix. sig. V8 In a long purple pall, whose skirt with gold, Was fretted all about, she was arayd.
a1625 W. Shakespeare & J. Fletcher Two Noble Kinsmen (1634) ii. ii. 130 This is a pretty colour, wilt not doe Rarely upon a Skirt wench? View more context for this quotation
1670 in 12th Rep. Royal Comm. Hist. MSS (1890) App. v. 21 Upon the Queene's Birthday most wore embraudered bodys with plaine black skirts of Morella Mohair and Prunella.
1845 S. Judd Margaret i. xiv. 105 She..put on her white muslin tunic and pink skirt.
1885 ‘V. Lee’ Let. in P. Gunn V. Lee (1964) x. 127 A very bright blue paper dress suggestive of divided skirts and ulster to match.
1890 Pall Mall Gaz. 2 Sept. 7/1 A divided skirt..is the clumsiest..article that a woman can put on.
1899 A. Conan Doyle Duet (1909) 105/2 With a swift rustle of skirts, she was between the door and his chair.
b. A woman; the skirt, women collectively. a bit of skirt: a woman; esp. an attractive one. Now slang.
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the world > people > person > woman > [noun]
wifeeOE
womaneOE
womanOE
queanOE
brideOE
viragoc1000
to wifeOE
burdc1225
ladyc1225
carlinec1375
stotc1386
marec1387
pigsneyc1390
fellowa1393
piecec1400
femalea1425
goddessa1450
fairc1450
womankindc1450
fellowessa1500
femininea1513
tega1529
sister?1532
minikinc1540
wyec1540
placket1547
pig's eye1553
hen?1555
ware1558
pussy?a1560
jade1560
feme1566
gentlewoman1567
mort1567
pinnacea1568
jug1569
rowen1575
tarleather1575
mumps1576
skirt1578
piga1586
rib?1590
puppy1592
smock1592
maness1594
sloy1596
Madonna1602
moll1604
periwinkle1604
Partlet1607
rib of man1609
womanship?1609
modicum1611
Gypsy1612
petticoata1616
runniona1616
birda1627
lucky1629
she-man1640
her1646
lost rib1647
uptails1671
cow1696
tittup1696
cummer17..
wife1702
she-woman1703
person1704
molly1706
fusby1707
goody1708
riding hood1718
birdie1720
faggot1722
piece of goods1727
woman body1771
she-male1776
biddy1785
bitch1785
covess1789
gin1790
pintail1792
buer1807
femme1814
bibi1816
Judy1819
a bit (also bundle) of muslin1823
wifie1823
craft1829
shickster?1834
heifer1835
mot1837
tit1837
Sitt1838
strap1842
hay-bag1851
bint1855
popsy1855
tart1864
woman's woman1868
to deliver the goods1870
chapess1871
Dona1874
girl1878
ladykind1878
mivvy1881
dudess1883
dudette1883
dudine1883
tid1888
totty1890
tootsy1895
floozy1899
dame1902
jane1906
Tom1906
frail1908
bit of stuff1909
quim1909
babe1911
broad1914
muff1914
manhole1916
number1919
rossie1922
bit1923
man's woman1928
scupper1935
split1935
rye mort1936
totsy1938
leg1939
skinny1941
Richard1950
potato1957
scow1960
wimmin1975
womyn1975
womxn1991
the world > people > person > woman > [noun] > women collectively
wifkinOE
womanOE
womankinc1175
womankindc1175
womenkina1387
womenkinda1387
womanhoodc1405
feminityc1425
femininityc1450
femininec1451
the fair (also gentle, soft, weak, etc.) sex1536
the second sex1536
the woman sex1536
feminie1541
mesdames1552
the fairer (also gentler, softer, weaker, etc.) sex1578
sex1589
ladyhooda1666
fair1687
wimmin1710
womenfolk1729
mesdemoiselles1739
the female of the species1795
femalitiesc1801
ladykind1829
womanity1836
womandom1838
ladydom1843
petticoatery1849
tea-body1865
muslin1884
the skirt1899
quim1909
womyn1975
womxn1991
the mind > attention and judgement > attractiveness > [noun] > attractive person > woman
morsela1450
honeypot1618
enchantera1704
peach1710
enchantress1713
sparkler1713
enslaver1728
witch1740
fascinatress1799
honey1843
biscuit1855
fairy1862
baby1863
scorcher1881
cracker1891
peacherino1896
hot tamale1897
mink1899
hotty?1913
babe1915
a bit of skirt1916
cookie1917
tomato1918
snuggle-pup1922
nifty1923
brahma1925
package1931
ginch1934
blonde bombshell1942
beast1946
smasher1948
a bit of crackling1949
nymphet1955
nymphette1961
fox1963
beaver1968
superbabe1970
brick house1977
nubile1977
yummy mummy1993
1578 J. Rolland Seuin Seages 52 Now thow thy tale hes tauld..Bot not gottin thow wald, licht skirt for all thy skippis.
1899 C. J. C. Hyne Further Adventures Capt. Kettle xii. 298 If any of you rats of men shove your way down here..before all the skirt is ferried across [etc.].
1914 S. Lewis Our Mr. Wrenn iv. 55 Pete was..singing hoarsely, ‘Dey was a skoit and 'er name was Goity’.
1916 C. J. Dennis Doreen & Sentimental Bloke 89 Skirt, or bit of skirt, a female.
1928 D. H. Lawrence Woman who rode Away & Other Stories 283 And what about your American skirt?—I told him, there was nothing to say about her.
1934 J. Brophy Waterfront ii. 42 A nice juicy bit of skirt, eh?
1957 ‘N. Culotta’ They're Weird Mob (1958) 190 ‘Reckon we better stick ter beer?’ ‘Until them other two skirts turn up.’
1974 K. Millett Flying (1975) v. 469 The two patriarchs, never tired of chasing twenty-year-old skirts in their old age.
1977 J. I. M. Stewart Madonna of Astrolabe xx. 280 They mustn't quarrel over a bit of skirt.
c. An underskirt or petticoat.
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the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > underwear > [noun] > underskirt
wyliecoat1544
petticoata1616
under-petticoat1625
undercoat1740
dicky1753
slip1825
under-skirt1861
skirt1862
foundation1893
blouse slip1907
petti1915
skirty1922
slip-dress1964
1862 Catal. Internat. Exhib., Brit. II. No. 3674 Counterpanes, toilette-covers, skirts.
1862 Catal. Internat. Exhib., Brit. II. No. 4935 Spiral Crinoline Steel and Bronze for Ladies' Skirts.
1895 Army & Navy Co-op. Soc. Price List 1090 Ladies' Skirts, &c. Cream or Scarlet Flannel... Girls' and Children's Skirts. White Long Cloth, trimmed Embroidery.
1908 M. E. Morgan How to dress Doll v. 51 The flannel skirt is cut from a straight piece of fine white flannel.
2. figurative.1884 Fortn. Rev. June 754 He proudly lifts his skirts lest they should trail in the mire of antiquated Conservatism.
a. The lower part of a man's gown or robe. Now chiefly Historical or with reference to Eastern countries.
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the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > clothing for body or trunk (and limbs) > [noun] > loose clothing > robe or gown > parts of
hemc1275
lapc1300
skirtc1330
fentc1430
amyta1450
upper-bodying1502
gorea1529
fox-fur1598
robing1727
lappet1734
robin1750
sack1775
clavus1842
c1330 R. Mannyng Chron. Wace (Rolls) 7884 Þe kyng..anon vp stirt, Bot Hengist laughtym by þe skirt, & held hym as stille as ston.
?a1400 Morte Arth. 3473 Many schredys and schragges at his skyrttes hynnges.
c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 865 [A robe] Þat sete on hym semly, wyth saylande skyrtez [MS reads skyrteȝ].
c1450 Alphabet of Tales (1904) I. 65 He grapid in his bosom & fand xij d of gold, & he keste þaim in þis wude preste skyrte.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Psalms cxxxii[i]. 2 It..ranne downe vnto the beerd,..& wente downe to the skyrtes of his clothinge.
1598 Bp. J. Hall Virgidemiarum: 3 Last Bks. iv. i. 4 Or wilie Cyppus, that can winke and snort Whiles his wife dallyes on Mæcenas skort.
1785 W. Cowper Task ii. 822 In the skirts Of the rob'd pedagogue.
1797 A. Radcliffe Italian I. vii. 181 I saw the skirts of his garments ascending.
1841 E. W. Lane tr. Thousand & One Nights I. 105 He stretched forth his hand, and lifted up the skirts of his clothing.
b. The bottom, lower portion, or tail of a coat or similar garment. Chiefly plural.
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the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > parts of clothing > [noun] > skirt
lapc897
quarter1501
dock1522
skirta1616
skirting1821
bell-skirt1907
a1616 W. Shakespeare Merry Wives of Windsor (1623) i. i. 26 If he ha's a quarter of your coat, there is but three Skirts for your selfe. View more context for this quotation
1632 J. Hayward tr. G. F. Biondi Eromena 92 Because he could not come to kisse his hand, he reverently kissed the skirt of his armour.
1660 S. Pepys Diary 1 Jan. (1970) I. 3 I rose, put on my suit with great skirts, having not lately worn any other clothes but them.
1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 145. ⁋7 The Skirt of your [men's] fashionable Coats forms as large a Circumference as our Petticoats.
1802 C. James New Mil. Dict. (at cited word) The whole of the British army formerly wore skirts to their coats.
1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) xxiv. 201 ‘For God's sake, what is it?’ Mr. Chopper said, catching the Captain by the skirt.
3. In various phrases, denoting close approach or adherence to some person or thing; in earlier use esp. to sit on (upon or in) one's skirts, to press hard upon one, to deal heavily with, to punish severely. to hide behind the skirts of, to take refuge behind, to use for protection.
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the world > action or operation > adversity > be in adversity [verb (intransitive)] > be oppressed > oppress or put stress on
instand1382
peisea1450
to sit on (upon or in) one's skirts1546
smart1601
pinch1685
the world > action or operation > safety > protection or defence > refuge or shelter > seek (refuge) [verb (transitive)] > take refuge behind
to hide behind the skirts of1938
(a)
(b)1579 G. Harvey Let.-bk. (1884) 67 To have everyon in continuall ielouzye lest he sitt over neere there schirtes.1584 B. R. tr. Herodotus Famous Hyst. ii. f. 106 There befell unto him another mischiefe, that sate as neere hys skirtes as the death of his dilling.1809 B. H. Malkin tr. A. R. Le Sage Adventures Gil Blas II. v. i. 344 A Sicilian gentleman..determined to stick in my skirts, and either ruin or marry me.1813 Examiner 24 May 335/2 He..need not come skulking in under the skirt of a borough~monger.1841 C. Dickens Old Curiosity Shop i. xxxvi. 297 That amiable virgin, having clung to the skirts of the Law from her earliest youth.1867 H. W. Longfellow tr. Dante Inferno xv. 40 Therefore go on; I at thy skirts will come.1938 ‘G. Graham’ Swiss Sonata 356 Is she hiding behind your skirts too?1975 Current Hist. Dec. 230/2 In terms of foreign dominance, Thailand asserted her independence from China only as she was able to hide behind the skirts of the Western giants, Great Britain, France and, most important, the United States.1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue i. v. sig. Bii I shall to revenge former hurts..sit on their skurts, That erst sat on myne.
1577 R. Stanyhurst Treat. Descr. Irelande iii. f. 14/2, in R. Holinshed Chron. I They would not..forget nor forgiue so horrible a murder, but were fully resolued..to sit in their skirtes.
c1630 R. Sanderson Serm. II. 271 Adversaries; who..might sit closer upon their skirts than formerly, and do them a shrewder turn for it another day.
1655 H. L'Estrange Reign King Charles 184 Many began..to sit upon the Bishops skirts, that is, to controvert the motes and bounds of their authority.
1707 E. Ward Wooden World Dissected 12 He'll be sure to..sit like Pitch on his Skirts.
1755 T. Smollett tr. M. de Cervantes Don Quixote II. iii. xv. 289 If my government holds..I will sit upon the skirts of more than one of these men of business.
II. In extended uses: a border, rim, or protective covering.
4.
a. One of the flaps or lower portions of a saddle. Also saddle skirt, saddle n.1 Compounds 4.
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the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > keeping or management of horses > horse-gear > [noun] > saddle > parts of saddle
saddle-boweOE
arsonc1300
saddle skirt1361
saddle-tree1364
skirtc1400
saddle panel1465
stock-tree1470
stock1497
pommela1500
tree1535
pillion cloth1540
port1548
saddle stock1548
pilch1552
bolster1591
cantle1591
shank-pilliona1599
pillowc1600
pad1604
crutch1607
sivet1607
saddle crutcha1614
saddle eaves1663
saddle tore1681
burr1688
head1688
narve1688
saddle seat1688
sidebar1688
torea1694
quarter1735
bands of a saddle1753
witherband1764
withers1764
peak1775
pillion-stick1784
boot-housing1792
saddle flap1798
saddle lap1803
fork1833
flap1849
horn1849
skirting1852
hunting-horn1854
head-plate1855
saddle horn1856
cantle bar1859
leaping-horn1859
straining1871
stirrup-bar1875
straining-leather1875
spring tree1877
leaping-head1881
officer-tree1894
monkey1911
monkey-strap1915
thigh roll1963
straining-web-
c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) l. 601 Þe apparayl of þe payttrure & of þe proude skyrtez [MS reads skyrteȝ], Þe cropore & þe couertor acorded wyth þe arsouneȝ.
a1500 (?c1450) Merlin xxxiii. 683 The duert..smote the horse with the spores on bothe sides faste by the skirtes of his sadell, for his legges were so shorte.
1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. 94/1 The Skirts, the covers of the side of the [saddle] tree, which are Fringed and wrought, and sometime plain.
1723 London Gaz. No. 6136/3 A brown quilted Saddle marked J. H. on the near Side Skirts.
1736 T. Carte Hist. Life Duke Ormonde II. 13 This letter was sowen up in the skirt of a saddle.
1866 Chambers's Encycl. VIII. 415/1 A saddle consists of the wooden frame or saddle-tree, the skirts or padded under-flaps [etc.].
b. The rim or base of a bell or beehive.
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the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > bee-keeping > [noun] > beehive > parts of
moutha1398
stool?1523
skirt1555
hackle1609
smoot1615
imp1618
bolster1623
cop1623
underlaya1642
hack1658
tee-hole1669
frame1673
hood1686
alighting board1780
body box1823
superhive1847
super1855
quilt1870
queen excluder1881
bar-super1884
brood box1888
society > leisure > the arts > music > musical instrument > percussion instrument > bell > [noun] > other parts
yokeOE
stirrup1341
cod1379
bell-string1464
frame1474
stock1474
ear1484
poop1507
bell-wheel1529
skirt1555
guarder1583
imp1595
tab1607
jennet1615
pluck1637
bell-rope1638
cagea1640
cannon1668
stilt1672
canon1688
crown1688
sound-bow1688
belfry1753
furniture1756
sounding bow1756
earlet1833
brima1849
busk-board1851
headstock1851
sally hole1851
slider1871
mushroom head1872
sally beam1872
pit1874
tolling-lever1874
sally-pin1879
sally-pulley1901
sally-wheel1901
1555 in W. Page Inventories Church Goods York, Durham & Northumberland (1897) 147 One lytle bell..being..xxxth ynces about the skyrtes.
1623 C. Butler Feminine Monarchie (rev. ed.) v. sig. K2v The Bees..otherwise might be prest to death betweene the two skirts.
1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. 462/1 The Skirt, the bottom of the Bell.
1707 J. Mortimer Whole Art Husbandry (1721) I. 275 Some reckon it better to place the Hive..into another, in a place that the skirts may be uppermost.
1736 N. Bailey Dict. Domesticum at Bees When you buy a new hive, try it..whether there be not a hollowness some where or other in the skirt.
c. The border, rim, outer portion, extremity, or tail-end of anything. Also technical (see later quots.) and figurative.
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the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > edge, border, or margin > [noun]
brerdc1000
hemc1200
barmc1340
cantc1375
margina1382
boardc1400
borderc1400
brinkc1420
edgea1450
verge1459
brim1525
rind1530
margent1538
abuttal1545
marge1551
skirt1566
lip1592
skirt1598
limb1704
phylactery1715
rim1745
rand1829
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > edge, border, or margin > [noun] > part near the edges or borders
sidec1300
suburbc1384
confines1548
skirt1566
purlieus1577
outskirta1599
selvage1650
skirting1764
society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > parachute > [noun] > canopy > parts of
panel1930
skirt1951
society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > spacecraft > rocket > [noun] > other parts of rocket
fin1935
dodger1956
skirt1964
shroud1965
society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > spacecraft > rocket > [noun] > types of rocket engine > fairing
fairing1964
skirt1964
1566 in Sidneiana (Roxb.) 4 A Post-script by my Lady Sidney, in the skirts of my L. Presidents Letter.
1617 F. Moryson Itinerary iii. 174 Shasses, that is, striped linnen..wound about the skirts of a little cap.
1642 T. Fuller Holy State v. xix. 436 Onely the skirts of their lungs were tainted.
1679 J. Moxon Mech. Exercises I. ix. Explan. Terms 169 Skirts, Projecting of the Eaves.
1725 E. W. Amorous Bugbears 18 I began to noch down my Observations upon the Skirts of my Memory.
1805 W. Wordsworth Waggoner iii. 58 And to the waggon's skirts was tied The Creature.
1845 P. Nicholson Carpentry in Encycl. Metrop. VI. 237/2 In the seven diagrams [of roofs] here referred to, the side BC is supposed to be the skirt next to the wall.
1875 E. H. Knight Amer. Mech. Dict. III. 2196/2 The skirt or external periphery of a millstone; e.g. from the eye to the skirt the leader-furrows run.
1951 Gloss. Aeronaut. Terms (B.S.I.) iii. 15 Skirt, the lower portion of the canopy [of a parachute].
1962 in J. Glenn et al. Into Orbit 245 Parachutes used on Mercury capsules are reefed by means of ropes tied around the skirt of the parachute.
1964 J. L. Nayler Dict. Astronautics 252 Skirt, the lower outer part of a rocket vehicle. It acts as a fairing to the rocket motor or booster.
1969 Times 22 July (Moon Rep. Suppl.) p. iii/7 There's one picture I'm taking now of the right rear of the spacecraft looking at the skirts of the descent stage.
1970 Gloss. Aeronaut. & Astronaut. Terms (B.S.I.) vi. 2 Skirt, an ærodynamic fairing to influence the airflow in the vicinity of the propelling nozzles.
d. Nautical. A side or leech of a sail.
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society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > masts, rigging, or sails > sail > [noun] > side edge of sail
leech1485
skirt1627
after leech1769
1627 J. Smith Sea Gram. v. 23 The Leech of a saile is the outward side of a skirt of a saile.
1711 Mil. & Sea Dict. (ed. 4) at Brayls Brayls..are fasten'd to the Creengleys at the Skirt of the Sail.
1743 J. Bulkeley & J. Cummins Voy. to South-seas 119 We hoisted a skirt of the Mainsail, and edged further off.
1851 R. Kipping Sails & Sail-making (ed. 2) 4 In all quadrilateral sails..the sides, or skirts, are called the leeches.
e. A surface that conceals or protects the wheels or underneath of a vehicle or aircraft; spec. (a) a detachable panel concealing part of the wheel of a car and fitted flush with the bodywork; (b) a surface designed to deflect the air so as to produce a downward force on the car aerodynamically.
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society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > aeroplane > parts of aircraft > [noun] > landing gear > wheel > surface concealing or protecting wheels
skirt1912
society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > powered vehicle > parts and equipment of motor vehicles > [noun] > body or bodywork > detachable panel over wheel
skirt1953
society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > powered vehicle > parts and equipment of motor vehicles > [noun] > body or bodywork > structures to reduce drag or lift
fairing1936
spoiler1963
aerofoil1966
air dam1970
skirt1974
1912 C. B. Hayward Pract. Aeronautics 286 There are six landing wheels forward, three on each side of the center and enclosed in what is termed a ‘skirt’.
1953 Frazee & Spicer Automotive Collision Work i. 55 Sometimes fender skirts are used on the rear fenders of cars. These skirts cover the wheel opening and are attached to the fender by clamps.
1965 M. C. Oaks Fell's Guide to Mobile Home Living vi. 97 Many mobile home owners enclose the space beneath their mobile homes with skirts or siding. These skirts..provide enclosed storage space, protect your tires from the sun, and..provide extra insulation.
1974 Country Life 21 Mar. 659/1 The Triumph Dolomite Sprint..is recognized by its..discreet spoiler beneath the front skirt.
1981 Times 5 Feb. 13/1 The South African Grand Prix will take place at Kyalmi... The cars will be equipped with skirts, almost certainly for the last time.
1981 Sci. Amer. Aug. 25/3 Most new main battle tanks have lightly armored ‘skirts’ to cover vulnerable treads and wheels.
f. Mechanics. The lower part of the curved surface of a piston in a piston engine, below the grooves for piston rings. Also piston skirt.
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society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > machines which impart power > engine > internal-combustion engine > [noun] > piston > parts of
small end1846
little end1868
skirt1913
1913 W. E. Dommett Motor Car Mech. 12 For the sake of lightness and more particularly for use on racing cars, holes are drilled around the lower part or skirt of the piston and two rings only may be used.
1929 K. Newton & W. Steeds Motor Vehicle vi. 57 In order that finer clearances may be used without risk of seizure, many different designs of semi-flexible skirt have been introduced.
1970 K. Ball Fiat 600, 600D Autobook i. 14/2 In each case, the number is on the opposite side to the slot in the piston skirt.
g. A flexible surface that projects downwards underneath a hovercraft to contain or divide the air-cushion.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > equipment of vessel > other equipment of vessel > [noun] > specific equipment on hovercraft
landing pad1958
sidewall1960
ram-wing1962
skirt1962
puff port1967
1962 Daily Tel. 12 Apr. 15/7 The cushion of pressurised air can take any proportion of the weight off the wheels. It is in an adjustable synthetic rubber ‘skirt’ below the waist-line of the vehicle.
1968 Economist 7 Sept. 81/1 The skirt of the hovercraft is one of its most sensitive parts. If the design is not right, the ride is uncomfortable and skirt edges flap up and down on the surface of the sea causing excessive wear.
1977 Hovering Craft & Hydrofoil XVII. 18/2 SEDAM, the French manufacturer, claims that their skirt is better than ours, but these claims will be put to the acid test when the N 500 and the SR.N4 Mk 3 run alongside each other on the Channel next year.
5. A rim or border; an edging. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > edge, border, or margin > [noun] > that which forms the edge or border
lista700
edge1502
borderc1540
verge1573
skirt1576
brim?1610
limb1644
edging1684
bordure1691
bordage1860
bordering1862
rimming1868
skirting1872
1576 G. Baker tr. C. Gesner Newe Jewell of Health i. f. 30 One of the Vessels hath a skirte or edge, wythin which the other is receyued.
1688 R. Holme Acad. Armory iii. 325/2 By these Pincers two edges or Skirts of Lead are turned one over the other.
1713 J. Addison in Guardian 27 July 1/2 This consists of a narrow Lace, or a small Skirt of fine ruffled Linnen, which runs along the upper part of the Stays before.
6.
a. The diaphragm or midriff of an animal, esp. as used for food.[In the following quotation the sense is not clear:—]
1486 Bk. St. Albans, Hunting f iij b Than shall ye kyt the skyrtis the teeth euen fro.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > animals for food > part or joint of animal > [noun] > midriff
skirt1725
1725 R. Bradley Chomel's Dictionaire Œconomique at Hog's Tongues Drain them a little, and having cut some Hog's Skirts, according to the Length of the Tongues, let every one be put into its Case, made of those Skirts.
a1756 E. Haywood New Present (1771) 18 Then the skirt and tripe.
1844 H. Stephens Bk. of Farm II. 241 The diaphragm or skirt is also cut off.
1868 Daily News 19 June A considerable portion of the livers and skirts are purchased wholesale by retail dealers in low neighbourhoods.
1888 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Robbery under Arms I. ii. 26 We had a hearty breakfast off the ‘skirt’.
b. (See quot. 1888.)
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > food > animals for food > mutton > [noun] > other cuts or parts
Jack1466
sheep's tongue1552
leg of mutton1570
porknell1596
nut1611
pope's eye1663
hand1671
mutton chop1696
mutton cutlet1706
wether-gammona1774
wobbler1823
Queen Elizabeth's bone1846
chump1861
skirt1881
1881 Dr. Gheist, An Autobiogr. fr. Midlands 66 His menu is varied enough, and ranges from ‘skirts of casalty mutton’ up to the primest joints.
1888 F. T. Elworthy W. Somerset Word-bk. Skirts or Skirting. Used by butchers. The trimmings or loose pieces taken off from the carcass after being ‘dressed’. Also the loose pieces of wool mixed with dung on a fleece.
c. Chiefly plural. = skirting n. 5.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > fleece > [noun] > parts of > remnants or trimmings
lockeOE
skirt1851
skirting1880
1851 F. A. Weld Hints to Sheep-farmers in N.Z. 8 The Merino has the more valuable wool, being finer, and particularly superior in the ‘skirts’, which are remarkably deficient in the crossed sheep.
1888 [see sense 6b]. 1965 J. S. Gunn Terminol. Shearing Industry ii. 23 Skirt, skirting. This word is generally used in the plural and refers to the wool round the edge of the fleece which is pulled off by the ‘skirter’..or woolroller... In original English practice the skirts were handled by the ‘wool sorter’..and not processed quite so carefully as in Australia.
III. A boundary, outlying part, and related uses.
7.
a. The border, boundary, or outlying part of a territory, country, kingdom, etc. Chiefly in plural.
ΘΚΠ
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > district in relation to human occupation > a land or country > part of country or district > [noun] > border district(s) > border(s)
frontier1413
limitationa1475
skirt1488
limity1523
rind1530
border1535
ambit1597
verges1680
county line1776
land-board1790
singular.
plural.1576 W. Lambarde Perambulation of Kent 190 He and his Sonnes abroad ransacked, herried and spoiled the skirts, and out sides, of the whole shyre.?1592 Trag. Solyman & Perseda sig. C1v From the other skirts of Christendome, Call home my Bassowes.1615 G. Sandys Relation of Journey 139 They hang about the skirts of the habitable countries.1708 J. Chamberlayne Magnæ Britanniæ Notitia (1710) i. i. iii. 19 The Soil [is] not very fertile towards the middle, but rich in the Skirts.1821 Ld. Byron Sardanapalus i. ii. 16 The far shores And skirts of these our realms.1870 D. G. Rossetti Poems 31 Lilith stood on the skirts of Eden.1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) v. l. 905 Rycht at the skyrt off Quenysbery befell,..Schir Ihone the Grayme [etc.].
1610 P. Holland tr. W. Camden Brit. i. 627 In the very utmost skirt of the shire.
1847 Ld. Tennyson Princess v. 105 Upon the skirt and fringe of our fair land.
b. plural. The outskirts or outlying parts of a town or city; the suburbs. Also rarely singular.
ΘΚΠ
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > district in relation to human occupation > town as opposed to country > town or city > part of town or city > [noun] > suburb > collectively
suburbc1350
suburbans?c1400
suburblec1540
outshifts1592
skirts1616
environsc1660
outpart1722
outlets1762
suburbia1870
'burb1977
1616 B. Jonson Every Man in his Humor (rev. ed.) iv. vii, in Wks. I. 54 As I haue walkt alone, in diuers skirts i' the towne, as Turne-bull, White-chappell, Shore-ditch.[1601 iv. ii. 41 has diuers places of the citie.]
1621 in W. Foster Eng. Factories India 1618–21 (1906) 247 It proseeded estward unto the verye scirtes of the towne.
1673 J. Ray Observ. Journey Low-countries 72 Collen,..a free city... The middle part of it is well built of Stone.., the Skirts meaner and of Wood.
1728 Berkeley Wks. (1871) IV. 149 Inquire in some other skirt or remote suburb.
1774 T. Pennant Tour Scotl. 1772 51 The Derwent washes the skirts of the town.
c. plural. The parts of an army furthest distant from the centre or main body; the edge, border, or fringe of a crowd, etc.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > armed forces > the Army > part of army by position > [noun] > extremity of line or troops
skirts1533
right1828
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > edge, border, or margin > [noun] > part near the edges or borders > of a body of people
skirts1533
1533 J. Bellenden tr. Livy Hist. Rome (1901) I. ii. xxv. 232 Þai saw..þe vtir skirtis of þare armye discomfist with grete slauchter.
1577 R. Holinshed Hist. Eng. 37/2 in Chron. I They would ride aboute the sides and skirts of the enimies host.
1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. xl. xxxix. 1085 The charge was alreadie given in the utmost skirts of the armie.
1764 J. Wesley Jrnl. 22 Apr. The skirts of the congregation could not hear.
1838 W. H. Prescott Hist. Reign Ferdinand & Isabella I. i. v. 159 Squadrons of light cavalry, hovering on the skirts of the Portuguese camp.
1894 H. Caine Manxman vi. xix An old fisherman on the skirts of the crowd.
8.
a. The edge, margin, verge of a wood, lake, cloud, etc.; the foot or lower slopes of a mountain or hill.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > edge, border, or margin > [noun]
brerdc1000
hemc1200
barmc1340
cantc1375
margina1382
boardc1400
borderc1400
brinkc1420
edgea1450
verge1459
brim1525
rind1530
margent1538
abuttal1545
marge1551
skirt1566
lip1592
skirt1598
limb1704
phylactery1715
rim1745
rand1829
the world > the earth > land > landscape > high land > hill > [noun] > foot
roota1382
skirt1598
the world > the earth > land > landscape > high land > mountain > [noun] > range > area at foot of
skirt1598
piedmont1860
thigh1889
pediment1897
pediment pass1930
pediplane1942
peripediment1942
the world > the earth > land > landscape > fertile land or place > land with vegetation > [noun] > wooded land > edge or limit of
rimeOE
skirt1598
bush-line1889
singular.
plural.1598 J. Manwood Treat. Lawes Forrest i. f. 2 Meeres and boundaries to know the Ring and vttermost Skirtes of the Forrest by.1608 A. Willet Hexapla in Exodum 294 The people are forbidden to goe vp to the mountaine or to come neere the skirts of it.1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost xi. 882 To binde The fluid skirts of that same watrie Cloud. View more context for this quotation1750 G. Hughes Nat. Hist. Barbados 69 Those which feed in the miry skirts of muddy ponds or rivers.1789 J. Williams Nat. Hist. Mineral Kingdom I. 142 The coals and coal metals trend away in a south-east direction to the skirts of the Moorfoot hills.1839 H. T. De la Beche Rep. Geol. Cornwall iii. 93 Gray or brown argillaceous slates that range from the skirts of the granite.1873 P. G. Hamerton Intellect. Life i. iv. 26 After the first ten minutes on the skirts of the wood.1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues at Rive The skirt, edge, or side of a wood.
1632 W. Lithgow Totall Disc. Trav. iii. 86 I passed along the skirt of Mount Ida.
1719 D. Defoe Life Robinson Crusoe 276 I came to the Skirt of the Wood.
1796 H. Hunter tr. J.-H. B. de Saint-Pierre Stud. Nature (1799) II. 197 Seated under their shade on the skirt of a meadow.
1817 J. Bradbury Trav. Amer. 20 (note) Colter..succeeded in gaining the skirt of the cotton wood trees.
1849 G. Grote Hist. Greece VI. ii. lii. 463 Landing at the skirt of the island.
b. Mining. (See quot. 1747.)
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > minerals > mineral deposits > [noun] > vein > edge or side
wough1653
skirt1747
1747 W. Hooson Miners Dict. sig. Pj However, that which bounds and limits its [i.e. the vein's] breadth, we never call Sides but the Skirts, or Scurts.
c. The lower sloping portions of a peak or rise on a graph, esp. of one representing electrical resonance.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > number > graph or diagram > [noun] > graph > part of
peak1785
flatline1867
tail1895
upper bound1917
valley1935
trough1938
skirt1940
shoulder1956
spike1961
the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > electronics > electronic phenomena > [noun] > oscillation > resonance > portion of graph representing
skirt1962
1940 Chambers's Techn. Dict. 775/2 Skirt, the lower side portions of a resonance curve.
1962 J. H. Simpson & R. S. Richards Physical Princ. Junction Transistors xiv. 341 This would be partly overcome if the top of the amplitude response curve were made flatter and the ‘skirts’ made steeper.
1965 Wireless World Sept. 33 (advt.) Bandwidth skirts are better than 80-dB down.
1970 J. Earl How to choose Tuners & Amplifiers ii. 43 In such sets..the element is arranged in the form of a bandpass coupling or filter, giving sharp response skirts while handling signals in the required bandwidth.
9.
a. In figurative use, after senses 7, 8.
ΚΠ
1649 Εἰκων Βασιλικη 135 The differences are but the skirts and suburbs of Religion.
1659 J. Rushworth Hist. Coll. 688 Now we are but upon the brink and skirts of the Cause.
1820 J. Keats Isabella in Lamia & Other Poems 68 I am a shadow now, alas! alas! Upon the skirts of human-nature dwelling.
1839 J. H. Newman Parochial Serm. IV. xxiii. 383 It sees the skirts of powers and providences beyond this world.
b. The beginning or end of a period of time. Chiefly plural.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > period > [noun] > beginning or end of a period
terminusOE
springinga1398
topc1440
fresh1566
front1609
skirt1624
epoch1673
turn1697
terminus post quem1834
terminus ante quem1858
1624 B. Jonson Neptunes Triumph 520 To draw downe a cup of nectar, in the skirts of a night.
1686 J. Goad Astro-meteorologica ii. ix. 285 Snow..may fall..on the Day, or upon the Skirts of the Day, upon the precise Aspect.
1823 J. Galt Ringan Gilhaize III. xxiv. 222 It was then the skirt of the afternoon.
1857 C. Heavysege Saul 38 Seven days I waited,—ay, till the skirts o' the term Had disappeared.
10.
a. A tract or piece of land forming a border, edge, or side of a river, country, etc. ? Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > land > tract > [noun] > forming border
skirt1599
rim1864
1599 T. Nashe Lenten Stuffe 19 The skirt or lappet of earth whereon it stands.
1669 T. Gale Court of Gentiles: Pt. I i. iv. 25 The Canaanites..were crouded up in that narrow skirt of Phenicia.
1677 W. Hubbard Narrative (1865) ii. 70 Spots and Skirts of more desireable Land upon the Banks of some Rivers.
b. A number of trees, etc., surrounding or bordering a place.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > surrounding > [noun] > that which surrounds
circumscription1578
skirt1617
circumference1643
recinct1654
circumplexion1660
circumambient1682
cincture1715
cordon1792
circus1817
clasp1867
girth1871
circumcincture1884
1617 F. Moryson Itinerary iii. 74 They call it a Towne, when they have compassed a skirt of wood with trees cut down.
1835 W. Irving Tour on Prairies xxiv A skirt of thickets hid the approach of the supposed enemy from our rear.
1885 G. Allen Babylon III. xxix. 1 A broad skirt of unoccupied hillocks.
Compounds
C1. General attributive. (In sense 1 or 2).
skirt-braid n.
ΚΠ
1882 S. F. A. Caulfeild & B. C. Saward Dict. Needlework 451/1 Skirt braids..are made of Alpaca and Mohair.
skirt-clasp n.
ΚΠ
1875 E. H. Knight Amer. Mech. Dict. III. 2196/1 Skirt-clasps. Skirt-elevators.
skirt-fold n.
skirt-guard n.
ΚΠ
1932 C. L. Morgan Fountain ii. ii. 100 A woman's bicycle with the broken strings of its skirt-guard dangling in a melancholy fringe over its spokes.
1982 J. Hone Valley of Fox vii. 105 A big, black old-fashioned woman's bicycle, with cord skirt-guards forming a fan over the back wheel.
skirt-length n.
ΚΠ
1920 T. Eaton & Co. Catal. Spring–Summer 1/1 Skirt Lengths 35 ins. 37 ins. 38 ins.
1980 L. Lewis Private Life of Country House xii. 166 Skirt lengths remained what you had been wearing for some time.
skirt-like adj.
ΚΠ
1862 W. C. Bryant Tale of Cloudland in Poet. Wks. (1883) II. 315 I plainly saw a chariot cushioned deep With sides that seemed of down, and skirt-like wings On which they nestled.
1980 Motor 16 Feb. 31/1 Deep, ‘skirt-like’ door sills.
skirt-lining n.
ΚΠ
1882 S. F. A. Caulfeild & B. C. Saward Dict. Needlework 451/2 As a rule, alpaca and silecia are the principal materials in use for Skirt Linings.
skirt-pocket n.
ΚΠ
1839 C. Dickens Nicholas Nickleby xxi. 197 The knife—..an inconvenient and dangerous article for a skirt pocket.
C2. † skirt-foist n. Obsolete a female cheat.
skirt-board n. (a) = skirting board n.; (b) a board to iron skirts on.
ΘΚΠ
society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > parts of building > wall of building > [noun] > skirting board
skiftingc1450
baseboard1598
skirt-board1690
skirting boarda1756
base1757
skirting1825
washboard1828
the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > cleaning > washing > washing clothes and textile articles > [noun] > pressing or ironing > ironing or pressing implements
pressing iron1343
cold press1552
setting-stick?1578
putter1583
putting stick1583
poking-stick1592
pooter1596
poting stick1600
poker1604
goose1606
poking-iron?1606
iron1613
smoothing-iron1627
steel1638
box iron1640
smoothing-boxa1684
press iron1695
ironing board1721
sad iron1759
ironing blanket1774
ironing table1778
flat-iron1810
sleeve-board1826
ironer1833
Italian iron1833
press-board1849
ironing machine1851
goffering-iron1861
skirt-board1861
goffer1865
trouser press1880
ironing board cover1886
trouser presser1888
electric iron1890
press cloth1918
press-pad1924
tie press1926
steam-iron1951
pressing board1969
1690 W. Leybourn Cursus mathematicus f. 901 Other Works about a Building..: As, Contaliver Cornice,..Skirt board,..&c.
1861 I. M. Beeton Bk. Househ. Managem. xli. 1013 The skirts of muslin dresses should be ironed on a skirt-board covered with flannel.
1932 D. C. Minter Mod. Needlecraft 107/2 Almost indispensable to successful dress~making are..sleeve and skirt board for pressing, [etc.].
skirt border n.
ΚΠ
1851 M. Reid Scalp Hunters I. xxi. 277 A row of entire skins of that animal [sc. the ermine] hung from the skirt border.
skirt-chase v. (intransitive) .
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > moral evil > licentiousness > unchastity > lasciviousness or lust > lust [verb (intransitive)] > be or become lecherous
lecher1382
to go to sault1567
tomcat1917
skirt-chase1943
1943 J. B. Priestley Daylight on Sat. xi. 70 Don't be a dam' fool, Percy. I'm not skirt-chasing.
1981 D. Boggis Time to Betray vii. 40 Chevalier went skirt-chasing at a disco.
skirt-chaser n. slang one who pursues women with amorous attentions.
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > moral evil > licentiousness > unchastity > [noun] > sexual indulgence > womanizing or associating with loose women > one who
horlinga1200
holourc1230
whore-mana1325
putourc1390
putroura1425
whoremastera1425
whoremonger?a1472
putyer1477
whoredomerc1485
holarda1500
whore-keeper1530
mutton-monger1532
smell-smock?1545
stallion1553
woman-louper1568
limb-lifter1579
Lusty Laurence1582
punker1582
wencher1593
womanist1608
belly-bumper1611
sheep-biter1611
stringer1613
fleshmongera1616
hunt-smock1624
whorer1624
womanizer1626
woman errant1628
mongera1637
linen-lifter1652
whorster1654
whorehopper1664
cousin1694
smocker1708
mutton-master1729
woman dangler1850
masher1872
chippy chaser1887
chaser1894
stud1895
molrower1896
skirt-chaser1942
1942 L. V. Berrey & M. Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §438/2 Lascivious man... Skirt or woman chaser.
1962 ‘L. Peters’ Snatch of Music iii. 45 He had always despised..the indiscriminate skirt-chaser.
1974 L. Lamb Man in Mist xvi. 106 I don't suppose that Settle is a skirt chaser. He probably wanted to frighten the girl away.
skirt-chasing n.
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > moral evil > licentiousness > unchastity > lasciviousness or lust > [noun] > lecherousness or lechery
lecheryc1230
lecherheda1325
lickerousnessc1380
lecherness?c1510
caterwauling1530
ruttery1567
cockishness1573
palliardise1581
routerya1600
salacity1605
saltness1611
catting1681
tomcatting1886
whorehopping1916
skirt patrol1941
skirt-chasing1950
1950 ‘S. Ransome’ Deadly Miss Ashley xiv. 167 I always told you you'd regret your skirt-chasing... A man should stick with his wife and family.
skirt-dance n. and v.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > dancing > types of dance or dancing > skirt- or shawl-dancing > [noun]
shawl-dance1813
shawl-dancing1813
skirt-dancing1892
skirt-dance1894
society > leisure > dancing > types of dance or dancing > skirt- or shawl-dancing > skirt- or shawl-dance [verb (intransitive)]
skirt-dance1894
1894 Cornhill Mag. Feb. 206 The girls who could not skirt-dance yawned behind their fans.
1895 G. B. Shaw Let. 1 Nov. in E. Terry & G. B. Shaw Corr. (1931) 17 Mrs Pat Campbell entrances all London as Juliet, with a skirt dance.
1961 P. G. Wodehouse Ice in Bedroom vi. 47 I feel like dancing a skirt dance.
1974 D. Smith Look back with Love xii. 113 There was usually one skirt-dance, during which the boys lolled..looking tolerant and slightly cynical.
skirt-dancer n.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > dancing > types of dance or dancing > skirt- or shawl-dancing > [noun] > dancer
skirt-dancer1895
1895 G. B. Shaw in Sat. Rev. 6 Apr. 445/1 Our skirt dancers are all petticoats.
1922 J. Joyce Ulysses ii. 349 Skirtdancers and highkickers.
skirt-dancing n. a form of ballet dancing in which the steps are accompanied by the manipulation of long flowing skirts or drapery.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > dancing > types of dance or dancing > skirt- or shawl-dancing > [noun]
shawl-dance1813
shawl-dancing1813
skirt-dancing1892
skirt-dance1894
1892 Pall Mall Gaz. 24 Mar. 1/2 It should be the very thing for skirt-dancing.
skirt duty n. slang (a) acting in a way designed to attract men; (b) keeping company with women, regarded as a military duty.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > love > flirtation or coquetry > [noun] > escorting women as if a military duty
skirt duty1922
society > armed hostility > military service > [noun] > military duty > type of duty
guard1596
picket duty1764
fatigue1776
light duty1810
fatigue-work1846
fatigue duty1856
stable1885
skirt duty1922
staff-work1923
1922 J. Joyce Ulysses iii. xviii. [Penelope] 723 He was throwing his sheeps eyes at those two doing skirt duty up and down.
1925 in Amer. Speech 1972 (1975) 47 102 That evening, Jim detailed himself to some more ‘skirt duty’.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > possession > taking > stealing or theft > thief > defrauder or swindler > [noun] > female
skirt-foista1652
a1652 A. Wilson Inconstant Lady iv. ii I do not like that skirtfoist. Leave your bouncing!
skirt-knicker n. (also skirt-knickers) (see quot. 1913).
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > underwear > [noun] > underpants > for women (and children)
knickerbocker1872
trouserettes1874
knickers1882
trolly1891
knicks1895
panties1904
skirt-knicker1908
Directoire knickers1911
panties1922
step-in1922
French knickers1925
scanty1928
passion-killer1943
parapants1944
tap pants1977
1908 in C. W. Cunnington Eng. Women's Clothing in Present Cent. (1952) ii. 84 The skirt-knickers which the up-to-date maiden delights in.
1913 Queen 13 Dec. 1091/2 The tango and peg-top fashion between them are responsible for an entirely new form of skirt-knicker... The characteristic of the new garment..is that it is formed entirely of one length of material falling from the waist in front to the knees and up again to the waist at the back, slits or openings occurring at the sides through which the legs are passed.
skirt-land n. land having skirt soil (see below).
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > land > ground > [noun] > skirt
skirt-land1946
1946 J. W. Day Harvest Adventure x. 145 Those cows are fed for more than nine months of the year on by-products of the farm—such as beet-tops, beet-pulp, kale—and on skirt-land, and marsh grazings.
1981 P. Salway Roman Brit. 268 The skirtlands of the southern Fens were the worst hit by these troubles.
skirt patrol n. slang (originally U.S.) (see quot. 1941).
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > moral evil > licentiousness > unchastity > lasciviousness or lust > [noun] > lecherousness or lechery
lecheryc1230
lecherheda1325
lickerousnessc1380
lecherness?c1510
caterwauling1530
ruttery1567
cockishness1573
palliardise1581
routerya1600
salacity1605
saltness1611
catting1681
tomcatting1886
whorehopping1916
skirt patrol1941
skirt-chasing1950
1941 Amer. Speech 16 168/2 Skirt patrol, search for feminine companionship.
1967 Everybody's Mag. (Austral.) 18 Jan. 36/2 Today, in Vietnam, Australians are again catching up on American Army slang... All would refer to a special girlfriend as their OAO—one and only. Probably, the OAO was met on skirt patrol.
skirt soil n. a loam composed of a mixture of peat and clay or sand or silt (cf. skirty adj.).
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > structure of the earth > constituent materials > earth or soil > kind of earth or soil > [noun] > organic soil > loam > silt loam
silt loam1917
silt-land1927
skirt soil1960
1960 Times 5 July (Suppl. on Agric.) p. vi/3 Lying between the areas of silt and peat there are indeterminate areas of what are now called ‘skirt’ soils. The soil physicist has classified them as organic silty clay loams.
1968 Economist 27 Apr. 52/2 Only two-thirds of the original acreage of peat in the fens—over 300,000 acres—are now covered with more than a ‘skirt soil’.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1911; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
skirtv.
/skəːt/, U.S. /skərt/ I. transitive.
1. Chiefly of, or with reference to, natural features, scenery, or surroundings:figurative.1817 T. Chalmers Series Disc. Christian Revel. (1852) iv. 92 That boundary which skirts and which terminates the material field of his contemplations.figurative.1847 R. W. Emerson Poems 133 So is man's narrow path By strength and terror skirted.
a. To form the skirt or edge of; to lie alongside of; to bound or border.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > edge, border, or margin > form the edge of [verb (transitive)]
skirt1602
inverge1612
edge1644
surround1688
selvage1704
skirt1776
outskirt1811
the world > space > distance > nearness > be near to [verb (transitive)] > be in contact with > border on
toucha1387
coastc1400
border1535
to bound on?1577
mere1577
board1596
bank1598
skirt1602
tract1612
bounder1636
buttal1642
border1647
hadland1649
line1846
1602 R. Carew Surv. Cornwall ii. f. 127v The little parish called Temple, skirteth this Hundred, on the waste side thereof.
1734 tr. C. Rollin Anc. Hist. (1827) II. 2 [They] dragged them headlong with them, down the precipices which skirted the road.
1748 B. Robins & R. Walter Voy. round World by Anson i. vi. 69 The western coast is of less extent..by reason of the Andes which skirt it.
1820 W. Irving Sketch Bk. II. 254 Those vast and trackless forests that skirted the settlements.
1843 J. E. Portlock Rep. Geol. Londonderry 520 The granite appears to skirt the great mass of altered schists and hornblendic rocks.
1879 W. H. Dixon Royal Windsor II. vii. 73 The gardens skirted the river-side.
b. In past participle, const. with or by.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > edge, border, or margin > form the edge of [verb (transitive)] > provide with an edge
listc1330
urlec1330
borderc1400
embordera1533
edge1555
lip1607
inverge1611
marginate1611
brim1623
rim1709
margin1715
skirt1717
skirt1787
marge1852
1717 J. Addison in J. Dryden et al. tr. Ovid Metamorphoses iii. Death of Pentheus A spacious circuit..Level and wide, and skirted round with wood.
1748 B. Robins & R. Walter Voy. round World by Anson ii. i. 121 A very narrow path skirted on each side by precipices.
1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian vii, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. I. 181 A fair and fertile champaign country..skirted by the picturesque ridge of the Pentland Mountains.
1872 E. Coues Key to N. Amer. Birds 107 In the fall, the black feathers of the crown of the adult are skirted with ash.
2.
a. To surround, edge, or border, with something.
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1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost v. 282 The middle pair Girt like a Starrie Zone his waste, and round Skirted his loines and thighes with downie Gold. View more context for this quotation
1746 J. Hervey Medit. (1818) 209 See how the declining sun has beautified the western clouds..and skirted them with gold.
1769 W. Falconer Universal Dict. Marine at Sail The edges of the cloths..of which a sail is composed, are generally sewed together with a double seam: and the whole is skirted round at the edges with a cord.
1828 T. Campbell Lines Departure Emigrants 27 To skirt our home with harvests widely sown.
b. To provide with an edging or border.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > edge, border, or margin > form the edge of [verb (transitive)] > provide with an edge
listc1330
urlec1330
borderc1400
embordera1533
edge1555
lip1607
inverge1611
marginate1611
brim1623
rim1709
margin1715
skirt1717
skirt1787
marge1852
1787 Builder's Price-bk. (ed. 4) 39 Dado..level, skirted, and caped.
c. To turn up at the skirts.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > tailoring or making clothes > tailor or make clothes [verb (transitive)] > other
fur13..
buttonc1380
lashc1440
pointa1470
set1530
tuft1535
vent1547
ruff1548
spangle1548
string1548
superbody1552
to pull out1553
quilt1555
flute1578
seam1590
seed1604
overtrim1622
ruffle1625
tag1627
furbelow1701
tuck1709
flounce1711
pipe1841
skirt1848
ruche1855
pouch1897
panel1901
stag1902
create1908
pin-fit1926
ease1932
pre-board1940
post-board1963
1848 A. H. Clough Bothie of Toper-na-Fuosich ii. 111 With blue cotton gown skirted-up over striped linsey-woolsey.
3. figurative.1817 S. T. Coleridge Biogr. Lit. (Bohn) 70 They..enabled me to skirt, without crossing, the sandy deserts of utter unbelief.
a. Of persons, ships, etc.: To go or pass along the border, edge, or side of (a country, district, etc.); to go round, in place of crossing.
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society > travel > aspects of travel > travel in specific course or direction > direct (one's course, steps, etc.) [verb (transitive)] > pass along outskirts of
coastc1400
trend1580
banka1616
skirt1735
to scrape along1884
outskirt1898
the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > movement over, across, through, or past > [verb (transitive)] > move past > closely
coastc1400
shore1592
butt1594
banka1616
skirt1735
verge1890
1735 W. Somervile Chace ii. 204 The Covert's utmost Bound Slily she skirts.
1808 W. Scott Marmion ii. viii. 84 And now the vessel skirts the strand.
1865 W. G. Palgrave Narr. Journey through Arabia II. 182 Near sunset we skirted a large reedy swamp.
1877 A. B. Edwards Thousand Miles up Nile xxii. 684 Skirting some palm-groves and crossing the dry bed of a canal.
b. To scour or search the outskirts of (a wood, etc.). rare.
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the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > search for or seek [verb (transitive)] > search (a place) > search the outskirts of
skirt1720
1720 D. Defoe Mem. Cavalier 245 They past..by us, without skirting or searching the Wood.
1828 W. Scott Fair Maid of Perth ix, in Chron. Canongate 2nd Ser. III. 235 All who have gone out to skirt the forest..bring back the same news.
4. dialect.
a. To plough in a certain manner (see skirting n. 2).
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > cultivation or tillage > breaking up land > ploughing > plough (land) [verb (transitive)] > plough lightly
shoal1670
scratch1697
stirree1742
skirtc1795
skim1799
riffle1804
skim-plough1807
hen-scratch1872
scratch-plough1926
c1795 J. Wolcot Rights of Kings vii, in Wks. (1816) II. 193 Time.., Who, with that ease a farmer skirts his land, Furrows so cruelly o'er the fairest face.
1796 W. Marshall Rural Econ. W. Eng. I. 144 For Skirting, the common share is used; but made, perhaps, somewhat wider than when it is used in the ordinary operation of plowing. In this mode of using the plow, little more than half the sward is pared off; turning the part raised, upon a line of unmoved turf [etc.].
1848 Jrnl. Royal Agric. Soc. 9 ii. 462 In the South Hams the land is skirted (ploughed so as to miss a portion).
b. To trim (a hedgerow); to dress (a fleece) by removing the ragged edges.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > hedging > make or repair hedge [verb (transitive)] > trim hedge
brush1513
brish1636
steep1741
beclip1785
switch1811
skirt1879
pare1884–5
society > occupation and work > industry > working with specific materials > working with skins > work with skins [verb (transitive)] > trim fleece
skirt1879
1879 Norfolk Archæol. VIII. 173 The sides of the highways are skirted in autumn.
1883 Leisure Hour 244/1 This is called ‘skirting’ the fleece... The fleece, when skirted, is rolled up, and we now follow it to the classer's table.
II. intransitive.
5. figurative.1900 Westm. Gaz. 31 Jan. 2/1 It may have been due to the fact that he had to skirt round under the bluff of Mr. Henry Chaplin.
a. Of persons: To travel, move, hang about, etc., on the outskirts or confines of something, or in a casual manner.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > aspects of travel > travel in specific course or direction > direct one's course [verb (intransitive)] > travel on outskirts
coast1553
scrape1603
skirt1623
1623 tr. A. Favyn Theater of Honour & Knight-hood v. i. 37 [He] made himselfe Master of Denmarke and Norway, whence he went and skirted on [Fr. aborder] the Gaules.
1768 G. White Let. 22 Jan. in Nat. Hist. Selborne (1789) 39 [He] passed through that kingdom on such an errand; but he seems to have skirted along in a superficial manner.
1827 J. F. Cooper Prairie I. xvii. 245 Lest the sons of the squatter should be out skirting on our trail.
1837 T. Carlyle French Revol. III. i. vii. 71 Brunswick is skirting and rounding, laboriously, by the extremity of the South.
1869 R. D. Blackmore Lorna Doone II. xvi. 211 Then I set off up the valley, skirting along one side of it.
b. Of hunting-dogs: To leave the pack when following the scent or in a chase.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > hunting > hunting with hounds > work done by hounds > action of hounds [verb (intransitive)] > leave pack
skirt1781
1781 P. Beckford Thoughts on Hunting v. 57 Should a favourite dog skirt a little, put him to a thorough line-hunting bitch.
1842 F. Roby Let. in ‘Nimrod’ Life Sportsman xvii. 374 The two most acknowledged faults [of a hound] are running mute and skirting.
1856 ‘Stonehenge’ Man. Brit. Rural Sports i. ii. iv. 119 The defects which should especially be avoided are..mute running,..skirting, or a tendency to leave the rest of the pack.
6.
a. Of roads, rivers, etc.: To lie or run along or round the edge or border of a place, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > edge, border, or margin > lie on the edge [verb (intransitive)]
skirt1776
the world > space > relative position > condition of being external > edge, border, or margin > form the edge of [verb (transitive)]
skirt1602
inverge1612
edge1644
surround1688
selvage1704
skirt1776
outskirt1811
1776 E. Gibbon Decline & Fall I. i. 25 A sandy desert skirted along the doubtful confine of Syria.
1859 J. E. Tennent Ceylon II. vii. ii. 138 As the path ascends it skirts round scarped acclivities.
1863 N. Hawthorne Our Old Home I. 67 The Leam..skirts along the margin of the garden.
b. Of strata: To crop out.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > structure of the earth > structural features > sedimentary formation > [verb (intransitive)] > crop out
crop1665
basset1783
skirt1806
to crop up1844
outcrop1848
to crop out1849
overstep1883
1806 R. Forsyth Beauties Scotl. III. 84 Many of the strata below it..have skirted out at the surface, and are no longer found.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1911; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.c1330v.1602