skirt
verb/skɜːt/
/skɜːrt/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they skirt | /skɜːt/ /skɜːrt/ |
| he / she / it skirts | /skɜːts/ /skɜːrts/ |
| past simple skirted | /ˈskɜːtɪd/ /ˈskɜːrtɪd/ |
| past participle skirted | /ˈskɜːtɪd/ /ˈskɜːrtɪd/ |
| -ing form skirting | /ˈskɜːtɪŋ/ /ˈskɜːrtɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, intransitive] to be or go around the edge of something
- skirt something They followed the road that skirted the lake.
- They skirted the forest and emerged on to a path.
- skirt around/round something I skirted around the field and crossed the bridge.
- [transitive, intransitive] to avoid talking about a subject, especially because it is difficult or embarrassing
- skirt something He carefully skirted the issue of where they would live.
- skirt around/round something She tactfully skirted around the subject of money.
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old Norse skyrta ‘shirt’; compare with synonymous Old English scyrte, also with short. The verb dates from the early 17th cent.
Check pronunciation:
skirt