skirt

noun

/skɜːt/

/skɜːrt/

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[countable] a piece of clothing for a woman or girl that hangs from the middle part of the body
- a short/long/pleated/denim skirt
- I never wear skirts.
- in a skirt a woman in a blue skirt and white blouse
see also grass skirt, miniskirt, pencil skirt, rah-rah skirt
Extra Examples
- a green jacket with a matching skirt
- The skirt falls just above the knee.
- I lifted the hem of my skirt.
- She sat down, smoothing her skirt.
- She was wearing a short denim skirt.
- She wore the plaid skirt that was the uniform of her private school.
- I've worn both skirt suits and pant suits to interviews.
Topics Clothes and Fashiona1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- long
- short
- ankle-length
- …
verb + skirt
- hike up
- hitch up
- lift
- …
skirt + verb
- billow
- swirl
- ride up
- …
skirt + noun
- length
- suit
phrases
- the hem of somebody’s skirt
See full entry
[countable]
(also skirts [plural])
the part of a dress, coat, etc. that hangs below the middle part of the body
- She tucked up her voluminous skirts to make room for Jane beside her.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- long
- short
- ankle-length
- …
verb + skirt
- hike up
- hitch up
- lift
- …
skirt + verb
- billow
- swirl
- ride up
- …
skirt + noun
- length
- suit
phrases
- the hem of somebody’s skirt
See full entry
enlarge image
[countable] an outer layer that covers and protects the base of a vehicle or machine
- the rubber skirt around the bottom of a hovercraft

Word OriginMiddle English: from Old Norse skyrta ‘shirt’; compare with synonymous Old English scyrte, also with short. The verb dates from the early 17th cent.

skirt

verb

/skɜːt/

/skɜːrt/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they skirt	/skɜːt/ /skɜːrt/
he / she / it skirts	/skɜːts/ /skɜːrts/
past simple skirted	/ˈskɜːtɪd/ /ˈskɜːrtɪd/
past participle skirted	/ˈskɜːtɪd/ /ˈskɜːrtɪd/
-ing form skirting	/ˈskɜːtɪŋ/ /ˈskɜːrtɪŋ/

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[transitive, intransitive] to be or go around the edge of something
- skirt something They followed the road that skirted the lake.
- They skirted the forest and emerged on to a path.
- skirt around/round something I skirted around the field and crossed the bridge.
[transitive, intransitive] to avoid talking about a subject, especially because it is difficult or embarrassing
- skirt something He carefully skirted the issue of where they would live.
- skirt around/round something She tactfully skirted around the subject of money.

Word OriginMiddle English: from Old Norse skyrta ‘shirt’; compare with synonymous Old English scyrte, also with short. The verb dates from the early 17th cent.