I. ˈkər]d. ə l, ˈkə̄], ˈkəi], ]t ə l noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English kirtel, from Old English cyrtel, from (assumed) Old English curt short; akin to Old Saxon kurt, Old High German kurz; all from a prehistoric West Germanic word borrowed from Latin curtus shortened — more at shear
1. : a garment resembling a tunic or coat usually reaching to the knees and worn by men often as the principal body garment until the 16th century
2. : a long gown or dress worn during the middle ages by women usually beneath a cloak and also in modern times as part of coronation robes
wearing her … kirtle of blue — H.W.Longfellow
II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to cover or enwrap (as in a kirtle)
the wild Albanian kirtled to his knee — Lord Byron