kilt

noun \ ˈkilt \

Definition of kilt

1 : a knee-length pleated skirt usually of tartan worn by men in Scotland and by Scottish regiments in the British armies

2 : a garment that resembles a Scottish kilt

See kilt defined for English-language learners

See kilt defined for kids

Recent Examples of kilt from the Web

The holiday event wasn’t promoted as a costume ball, per se, but attendees did dress up in traditional highlands garb, including but not limited to kilts.

— bill van niekerken, San Francisco Chronicle, "Halloweens of SF’s past: Long-buried photos dug up from archive grave," 31 Oct. 2017
Once for a skit, he was asked to don a kilt and appear on stage at the Hard Rock alongside comedian Martin Short.

— david ovalle, miamiherald, "From child murderers to serial killers, he got them to confess, with a touch of kindness," 30 Oct. 2017
Veronica wore a wedding gown, her bridesmaids (including Betty, Josie, and Cheryl) wore blue, and Archie and Jughead donned kilts with their suit jackets.

— amy mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Riverdale's Cole Sprouse Has Bad News for Bughead Fans," 11 Oct. 2017
The Italian-born designer's greatest menswear hits for the French brand (see: Rottweiler tees and shark sweatshirts, Kanye West's leather kilt, low-slung loose pants) cleared a path for how guys like to dress in 2017.

— jake woolf, GQ, "Riccardo Tisci Talks Nike and His Return to the Fashion World," 12 Oct. 2017
The men wear kilts and bare chests, the women black leos and knee socks, and all don Victorian collars, tossing wig powder in the air at intervals, almost certainly poking fun at Ireland’s former landlords.

— lauren warnecke, chicagotribune.com, "Visceral Dance Chicago's fall opener pops and fizzles," 17 Sep. 2017
The show was a bit repetitive, its moments of darkness not as real as Simons’s, but Leba knows how to make individual pieces, like those kilts and aprons, sing on their own.

— cathy horyn, The Cut, "Calvin Klein’s American Horror Story," 8 Sep. 2017
Enter to win a round-trip ticket to Ireland at the raffle or put on your kilt to run the Kilted Mile on Sunday.

— alexa goins, Indianapolis Star, "Bring your pumpkin-spiced latte to these 10 Indianapolis fall festivals," 6 Sep. 2017
A bagpiper, wearing a kilt, led the graduates through the aisles.

— michael corkery, The Seattle Times, "Walmart Academy trains better managers, but will they have a better future?," 9 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kilt.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of kilt

circa 1730

kilt

verb

Definition of kilt

transitive verb

1 chiefly dialectal : to tuck up (something, such as a skirt)

2 : to equip with a kilt

intransitive verb

: to move nimbly

Origin and Etymology of kilt

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse kjalta lap, fold of a gathered skirt

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

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KILT Defined for English Language Learners

kilt

noun

Definition of kilt for English Language Learners

: a type of skirt traditionally worn by men in Scotland
: a woman's skirt that resembles a Scottish kilt

KILT Defined for Kids

kilt

noun \ ˈkilt \

Definition of kilt for Students

: a knee-length pleated skirt usually of tartan worn by men in Scotland

Learn More about kilt

See words that rhyme with kilt Spanish Central: Translation of kilt Nglish: Translation of kilt for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about kilt

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kilt

Definition of kilt

Recent Examples of kilt from the Web

First Known Use of kilt

kilt

Definition of kilt

Origin and Etymology of kilt

KILT Defined for English Language Learners

kilt

Definition of kilt for English Language Learners

KILT Defined for Kids

kilt

Definition of kilt for Students

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kilt

Definition of kilt

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First Known Use of kilt

kilt

Definition of kilt

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kilt

Definition of kilt for English Language Learners

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kilt

Definition of kilt for Students

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