kilt

/kɪlt/

/kɪlt/

Other forms: kilts

The Scottish kilt resembles a plaid skirt, but it's traditionally worn by men. Bagpipers and Highland dancers often wear kilts, and you may even see hipsters in Brooklyn donning them.

Today men and women both wear kilts, usually held closed by a large pin and accompanied by knee socks, but its tradition began with men and boys in Scotland. You're most likely to see Scots in kilts at formal events like weddings, Highland games, and funerals. The word kilt comes from the Middle English verb kilten, "to tuck up."

Definitions of kilt

1. noun

   a knee-length pleated tartan skirt worn by men as part of the traditional dress in the Highlands of northern Scotland
   type of:

   skirt

   a garment hanging from the waist; worn mainly by girls and women