Definition

1. Noun:
   • A long dress or gown worn by women: A garment, typically reaching to the ankles, that was commonly worn by women in historical periods.
   • A tunic-like garment worn by men in the Middle Ages: A knee-length or longer outer garment, often belted, that was a standard part of medieval male attire.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The lady wore a simple woolen kirtle. (This describes a woman's long dress.)
  • The peasant's kirtle was made of coarse linen. (This describes a man's medieval tunic.)

Advanced Usage

• Historical/Literary Context: The word "kirtle" is now archaic and is primarily used in historical descriptions, reenactments, or literary works set in medieval or Renaissance periods.
  • In the painting, the queen is depicted in an embroidered kirtle.
  • The character's green kirtle identified him as a forester.

Variants and Related Words

• Gown: A more modern and general term for a long, formal dress.
• Tunic: A simple garment, typically sleeveless or with short sleeves, reaching to the hips or knees, similar to the male "kirtle".
• Frock: An old-fashioned term for a woman's dress or a monk's habit.

Synonyms

• Dress (for the women's garment)
• Gown (for the women's garment)
• Tunic (for the men's garment)
• Robe

Related Phrases

• "Kirtle and chemise": Refers to the basic layered clothing of medieval women, where the kirtle was worn over an undergarment (chemise).
  • Her attire consisted of a linen chemise and a woolen kirtle.

Noun

1. a long dress worn by women
2. a garment resembling a tunic that was worn by men in the Middle Ages