KIRTLE Meaning of KIRTLE in English [ 'kə:t(ə)l ]■ noun archaic1》 a woman's gown or outer petticoat. 2》 a man's tunic or coat.OriginOE cyrtel , of Gmc origin, prob. based on L. curtus 'short'. Concise Oxford English vocab. Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка. 2004