Definition

1. Noun:

   • A garment worn by women and girls that hangs from the waist: A piece of clothing that covers the body from the waist down, typically without separate leg sections.
   • An informal term for a (young) woman: (Slang, often considered dated or offensive) A woman or girl.
   • A border or edge: The outer edge or boundary of something.
   • (In mycology) A remnant of the partial veil on a mushroom: A ring of tissue around the stem of some mature mushrooms.

2. Verb:

   • To go around or along the edge of something: To move, be, or lie along the border or boundary of an area.
   • To avoid dealing with (an issue, question, or duty): To evade or circumvent a topic, problem, or responsibility.
   • To form or serve as a border to: To be situated along the edge of something.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • She wore a long, black skirt to the party.
  • The factory was built on the skirts of the town.
  • The field guide noted the mushroom's distinctive skirt.

• Verb:

  • The hiking trail skirts the lake, offering beautiful views.
  • The politician skillfully skirted the reporter's difficult question.
  • Mountains skirt the northern edge of the valley.

Advanced Usage

• "To skirt the issue/law/rules": To avoid dealing directly with a problem or to find a way around a regulation.

  • The company was accused of skirting environmental laws.

• "To skirt around something": To move around the edges of a place or topic.

  • We had to skirt around the flooded section of the road.

Variants and Related Words

• Skirting (noun): Material used for making skirts; also refers to a border or edging.

  • The skirting around the base of the wall was made of wood.

• Mini-skirt (noun): A very short skirt.

• Pencil skirt (noun): A narrow, straight skirt.

Synonyms

• Noun (garment): Kilt, sarong.
• Noun (edge): Perimeter, fringe, margin, periphery.
• Verb (go around): Border, flank, edge, circle.
• Verb (avoid): Evade, circumvent, dodge, sidestep.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Skirt around: To avoid dealing with something directly; to move around the edge of an area.
  • He spent the meeting skirting around the main financial problems.

Related Idioms

• On the skirts of: Located on the outer edge or periphery of a place.
  • They lived in a cottage on the skirts of the forest.

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