1
a(1)
: a free-hanging part of an outer garment or undergarment extending from the waist down
(2)
: a separate free-hanging outer garment or undergarment usually worn by women and girls covering some or all of the body from the waist down
b
: either of two usually leather flaps on a saddle covering the bars on which the stirrups are hung
c
: a cloth facing that hangs from the bottom edge or across the front of a piece of furniture
d
: the lower branches of a tree when near the ground
2
a
: the rim, periphery, or environs of an area
b
skirts plural
: outlying parts (as of a town or city)
3
: a part or attachment serving as a rim, border, or edging
4
slang
: a girl or woman
skirted; skirting; skirts
1
: to form or run along the border or edge of : border
2
a
: to provide a skirt for
b
: to furnish a border or shield for
3
a
: to go or pass around or about
specifically
: to go around or keep away from in order to avoid danger or discovery
b
: to avoid especially because of difficulty or fear of controversy
skirted the issue
c
: to evade or miss by a narrow margin
having skirted disaster—
Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton
: to be, lie, or move along an edge or border
skirter
noun
Synonyms
Examples of skirt in a Sentence
Noun
She was wearing a short skirt.
The skirt of her coat got caught in the car door.
They put a protective skirt around the base of the machine.
Verb
The mayor skirted the issue by saying that a committee was looking into the problem.
They tried to skirt the new regulations.
He tried to skirt around the question.
Pine trees skirt the northern edge of the pond.
The road skirts around the lake.
We skirted around the edge of the city.
Recent Examples on the WebNicol Natale, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
For a business casual look, try wearing a slouch bag with a skirt set and loafers or a blazer and jeans paired with sneakers.
—Essence, 12 Apr. 2024
Add Polish to a Denim Skirt With a Sweater Vest
Denim skirts aren’t going anywhere.
—Christina Holevas, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024
The group’s Alfa Bank, Russia’s largest non-state bank, was sanctioned by the EU in March 2022, prompting Fridman to leave the board to try to help the bank skirt sanctions.
—Samuel Petrequin, Fortune Europe, 11 Apr. 2024
Black Midi Skirt This is an all-seasons skirt that practically lives in my suitcase.
—Kayla Becker, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2024
Style Shop affordable tennis skirts, maxi dresses, linen pants, and more.
—Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 6 Apr. 2024
In another episode, Mr. David casts a cool eye on Paula, an escort who is turned out in the standard trappings of her trade: a bustier, a tiny skirt and fishnet hose.
—Ruth La Ferla, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Complete with ruffle sleeves, the blouse can be tucked into jeans or worn with a skirt.
—Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2024
Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
But this moment brings up a pressing question: Why did the first female Coachella headliner from L.A. need to skirt around the traditional hip-hop route to become a superstar?
—Liz Sanchez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Just look at Elon Musk, who moved SpaceX and Tesla operations to the Lone Star State to skirt capital gains taxes, and is now the biggest employer in Austin.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2024
One concern is that drivers will skirt Manhattan’s congestion zone and switch to routes through the South Bronx.
—Hillary Chura, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2024
When they were finished, many of the stevedores drove home along Interstate 695, crossing the Patapsco River on the Key Bridge and skirting past another crew of workingmen — this one laboring on the road with shovels in the glare of floodlights.
—William Wan, Washington Post, 30 Mar. 2024
Although the international inspection protocol is supposed to serve this function, the reality is that there are various loopholes in the treaty’s wording that allow states to skirt inspections if they’re required.
—Elizabeth Buchanan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024
The vacuum quickly got to work, skirting easily around tables and chairs to find hidden dirt and sucking it up into the internal dust canister.
—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
Through these, a couple of years and a few hundred thousand dollars or so can yield citizenship in a new country, allowing the recipients to skirt taxes in the U.S. or simply have a place to flee should something apocalyptic transpire, says Lesperance.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
Pleats are another Hollywood go-to, and this tennis skirt is full of them.
—Nicol Natale, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024
For a business casual look, try wearing a slouch bag with a skirt set and loafers or a blazer and jeans paired with sneakers.
—Essence, 12 Apr. 2024
Add Polish to a Denim Skirt With a Sweater Vest
Denim skirts aren’t going anywhere.
—Christina Holevas, Vogue, 12 Apr. 2024
The group’s Alfa Bank, Russia’s largest non-state bank, was sanctioned by the EU in March 2022, prompting Fridman to leave the board to try to help the bank skirt sanctions.
—Samuel Petrequin, Fortune Europe, 11 Apr. 2024
Black Midi Skirt This is an all-seasons skirt that practically lives in my suitcase.
—Kayla Becker, Travel + Leisure, 10 Apr. 2024
Style Shop affordable tennis skirts, maxi dresses, linen pants, and more.
—Lauren Taylor, Southern Living, 6 Apr. 2024
In another episode, Mr. David casts a cool eye on Paula, an escort who is turned out in the standard trappings of her trade: a bustier, a tiny skirt and fishnet hose.
—Ruth La Ferla, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
Complete with ruffle sleeves, the blouse can be tucked into jeans or worn with a skirt.
—Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2024
Verb
Without the state’s sign-off on that plan, known as the housing element, developers can skirt local zoning codes and propose projects far taller and denser than might typically be allowed — so long as 20% of the units are rented at affordable rates to qualifying tenants.
—Kate Talerico, The Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2024
But this moment brings up a pressing question: Why did the first female Coachella headliner from L.A. need to skirt around the traditional hip-hop route to become a superstar?
—Liz Sanchez, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2024
Just look at Elon Musk, who moved SpaceX and Tesla operations to the Lone Star State to skirt capital gains taxes, and is now the biggest employer in Austin.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2024
One concern is that drivers will skirt Manhattan’s congestion zone and switch to routes through the South Bronx.
—Hillary Chura, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 Apr. 2024
When they were finished, many of the stevedores drove home along Interstate 695, crossing the Patapsco River on the Key Bridge and skirting past another crew of workingmen — this one laboring on the road with shovels in the glare of floodlights.
—William Wan, Washington Post, 30 Mar. 2024
Although the international inspection protocol is supposed to serve this function, the reality is that there are various loopholes in the treaty’s wording that allow states to skirt inspections if they’re required.
—Elizabeth Buchanan, Foreign Affairs, 18 Mar. 2024
The vacuum quickly got to work, skirting easily around tables and chairs to find hidden dirt and sucking it up into the internal dust canister.
—Cai Cramer, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
Through these, a couple of years and a few hundred thousand dollars or so can yield citizenship in a new country, allowing the recipients to skirt taxes in the U.S. or simply have a place to flee should something apocalyptic transpire, says Lesperance.
—Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'skirt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near skirt
Cite this Entry
“Skirt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skirt. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
skirt
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a free-hanging part of a garment extending from the waist down
b
: a separate free-hanging garment usually worn by women and girls covering the body from the waist down
c
: either of two flaps on a saddle covering the bars on which the stirrups are hung
2
plural
: outskirts
3
: a part or attachment serving as a rim, border, or edging
skirt
2 of 2 verb1
a
: to go or pass around or about
especially
: to go around or keep away from in order to avoid danger or discovery
b
: to escape or miss by a narrow margin
2
: to be, lie, or move along an edge, border, or margin
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