kilt

1 of 2

noun

1
: a knee-length pleated skirt usually of tartan worn by men in Scotland and by Scottish regiments in the British armies
2
: a garment that resembles a Scottish kilt

kilt

2 of 2

verb

kilted; kilting; kilts

transitive verb

1
chiefly dialectal : to tuck up (something, such as a skirt)
2
: to equip with a kilt

intransitive verb

: to move nimbly

Examples of kilt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Tennant then took to the stage clad in a kilt with Bark Ruffalo in tow. Ellise Shafer, Variety, 18 Feb. 2024 Batiste wore a Versace kilt with pants underneath and a high collared jacket. Leanne Italie, Twin Cities, 4 Feb. 2024 Other bands that have appeared so far include Pipes on Parade, a collection of bagpipers dressed in authentic Highland kilts. NBC News, 1 Jan. 2024 Buyers can then have the fabric made into a kilt or accessory. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2024 During a little picnic in their yard, Rogers proposed in a kilt to Eckerson. Meredith Newman, Kansas City Star, 25 Jan. 2024 With the exception of Lady Macbeth, who wears a white formfitting dress, the cast are clad in an austere uniform of gray or black tops — turtlenecks, vests or collarless jackets — with dark kilts and black Chelsea boots. Houman Barekat, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2023 All three men dressed in traditional Scottish kilts for the family photo celebrating the new year. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 2 Jan. 2024 The couple announced their engagement in 2003 and married the following year at Copenhagen Cathedral. Crown Princess Mary's father, John, walked her down the aisle in a Scottish kilt. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 5 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kilt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse kjalta lap, fold of a gathered skirt

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of kilt was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near kilt

Cite this Entry

“Kilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kilt. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

kilt

noun
ˈkilt
: a knee-length pleated skirt usually of tartan worn by men in Scotland
kilted
ˈkil-təd
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on kilt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!