skirt

/skə:t/

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Explanation of the Word "Skirt"

Part of Speech: Noun and Verb

Advanced Usage:

• In a more advanced context, you might encounter "skirt" used in discussions about land or property, such as "the river skirts the edge of the town," which means that the river runs along the border of the town.

Word Variants:

• Skirting (noun): This can refer to a type of trim or border that hangs at the bottom of a skirt or can also mean the act of avoiding something.
• Skirted (verb): The past tense of "skirt."

Different Meanings:

• Literal (clothing): Refers to the garment.
• Figurative (avoidance): Refers to the act of evading responsibility or questions.

Synonyms:

• For the garment: Dress, kilt, petticoat (depending on style).
• For avoidance: Evade, dodge, sidestep.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• Skirt around (something): This phrase means to avoid discussing something directly.

• Skirt the edges: This refers to staying at the boundary of something without fully engaging.

Summary:

The word "skirt" has multiple meanings and uses in English. It can refer to a piece of clothing, be used informally to describe a woman, or describe the action of avoiding issues or surrounding something.

Academic

Noun

1. informal terms for a (young) woman
2. (Fungi) a remnant of the partial veil that in mature mushrooms surrounds the stem like a collar
3. a garment hanging from the waist; worn mainly by girls and women
4. cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist

Verb

1. extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle
   • The forest surrounds my property
2. form the edge of
3. pass around or about; move along the border
   • The boat skirted the coast
4. avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
   • He dodged the issue
   • she skirted the problem
   • They tend to evade their responsibilities
   • he evaded the questions skillfully

Synonyms

• dame
• doll
• wench
• chick
• bird
• annulus
• surround
• environ
• ring
• border