petticoat

1 of 2

noun

pet·​ti·​coat ˈpe-tē-ˌkōt 

1

: a skirt worn by women, girls, or young children: such as

a

: an outer skirt formerly worn by women and small children

b

: a fancy skirt made to show below a draped-up overskirt

c

: an underskirt usually a little shorter than outer clothing and often made with a ruffled, pleated, or lace edge

d

archaic : the skirt of a woman's riding habit

2

a

: a garment characteristic or typical of women

b

: woman

3

: something (such as a valance) resembling a petticoat

petticoated

ˈpe-tē-ˌkō-təd 

adjective

petticoat

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or exercised by women : female

Examples of petticoat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Her date, Abigail Chico, wore a petticoat, corset, and lingerie top — all in the style of the Gilded Age. —Clara-Sophia Daly, Miami Herald, 1 June 2025

For her look, Johnson styled a gold coat with puffy sleeves atop a voluminous midi dress with tiered lace detailing evocative of an extravagant petticoat. —Julia Teti, Footwear News, 7 May 2025

And the corded petticoats and all the foundational pieces that give us the woman’s shape of 1838. —Tomris Laffly, IndieWire, 3 Jan. 2025

Beneath the gown is a crinoline layer reminiscent of a petticoat, topped with iridescent organza. —Cathy Whitlock, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English petycote short tunic, petticoat, from pety small + cote coat

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1620, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for petticoat

• anecdote
• antidote
• asymptote
• creosote
• dimethoate
• epidote
• ferryboat
• motorboat
• overcoat
• riverboat
• undercoat
• underwrote

Kids Definition

petticoat

1 of 2 noun

pet·​ti·​coat ˈpet-ē-ˌkōt 

: a skirt or slip worn under a dress or outer skirt

petticoat

2 of 2 adjective

: of, relating to, or controlled by women : female

petticoat government