gaiter

noun

gai·​ter ˈgā-tər 

plural gaiters

1

: a cloth or leather leg covering reaching from the instep to above the ankle or to mid-calf or knee

2

a

: an overshoe with fabric upper

b

: an ankle-high shoe with elastic gores in the sides

3

: a fabric covering in the form of a closed loop worn around the neck that can extend to cover the lower part of the face : neck gaiter

If associates wish to wear their own mask or personal covering, it must be clean and cover their nose and mouth. Alternatives might include a scarf, bandana or a gaiter.

—Zak Failla

We were masked with bandannas and hats and ski gaiters pulled up past our noses …

—Kristen Millares Young

Examples of gaiter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Other technical features to look out for include powder skirts, adjustable hems and hoods, wrist gaiters, goggle shammies, RFID pockets, and Recco reflectors. —Anna Popp, Travel + Leisure, 26 Nov. 2025

Wrist gaiters, powder skirt, and adjustable hood keep snow out, while underarm zips provide ventilation for the trudge. —Outside, 13 Nov. 2025

Over the past year, many federal law enforcement agents conducting immigration arrests have been concealing their faces under masks and gaiters when making arrests in public, in what DHS says is an effort to avoid doxing, or publishing agents' personal information online. —Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025

Neck gaiters are finding themselves on a lot of outdoor enthusiasts’ packing lists. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French guêtre, going back to Middle French guiestres (plural), probably going back to a metathetical variant of Old Low Franconian *wrist- "ankle joint," going back to Germanic *wrih-sti- (whence Middle High German rist, riste "wrist or ankle joint," Old English wrist "wrist joint") — more at wrist

First Known Use

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing gaiter

• neck gaiter

Rhymes for gaiter

• cater
• crater
• frater
• freighter
• gator
• grater
• greater
• hater
• krater
• later
• plater
• prater

Kids Definition

gaiter

noun

gai·​ter ˈgāt-ər 

: a leg covering reaching from the instep to above the ankle or to mid-calf or knee