kilt
kilt — noun
1. a traditional garment made from tartan woollen cloth, with deep folds stitched a
a traditional garment made from tartan woollen cloth, with deep folds stitched around the body, reaching from the waist to just above the knee, forming part of the formal and ceremonial attire of Scottish men for centuries.
Liam wore his grandfather's tartan kilt to the family wedding in Edinburgh.
collocation: wear a kilt to an event
The bagpiper's green-and-blue kilt swung from side to side as he marched.
Mayumi bought a woollen kilt at a shop near Edinburgh Castle as a souvenir.
Unlike a typical skirt, a kilt uses straps and buckles instead of a zipper.
At the Highland Games, each dancer's kilt was made from a different tartan pattern.
- tartan kilt
emphasizes the checked pattern of the cloth
- Highland dress
broader term that includes the kilt plus accessories such as a sporran and jacket
用法筆記
Because a kilt is a culturally specific garment rather than an everyday clothing item, it is most commonly used with the verbs 'wear', 'put on', and 'take off'. The word 'tartan' refers to the checked pattern of the cloth, and different Scottish families have their own tartans.
常見錯誤
kilt — verb
1. to fold or roll the bottom edge of a long piece of clothing upward so that it si
to fold or roll the bottom edge of a long piece of clothing upward so that it sits higher off the ground, usually to keep it dry or clean.
Diya kilted her long skirt before stepping into the shallow stream.
kilt + garment to keep dry
The farmer kilted his heavy coat to keep the hem out of the wet grass.
Shirin kilted the edge of her dress to climb over the low stone wall.
The children kilted their robes and ran through the puddles after the rain stopped.
- let down
to lower a hem that has been folded up
文法句型
kilt + object (garment)
用法筆記
This sense is old-fashioned and very rare in modern English. It appears almost exclusively in historical fiction or descriptions of 19th-century rural life. The object is always a piece of clothing — never a person or an animal.
常見錯誤
2. to dress someone in a tartan kilt or supply a kilt as part of their outfit, typi
to dress someone in a tartan kilt or supply a kilt as part of their outfit, typically for a ceremonial or military occasion.
The tailor kilted the three groomsmen the night before the ceremony.
passive construction: kilt + person for an event
The soldiers were kilted and ready for the parade by eight o'clock.
passive: were kilted
The costume department kilted every actor in the play who played a Scottish character.
Élise helped kilt the young dancers in matching red-and-black tartan before they went on stage.
- dress in a kilt
the explanatory modern equivalent
- outfit in tartan
broader — can refer to the whole Highland outfit, not just the kilt
文法句型
kilt + person
用法筆記
Almost always used in the passive voice ('be kilted') when referring to the person being dressed. The active form is most common when the subject is a tailor, costumer, or other person whose job involves providing the garment.
常見錯誤
3. to move with quick, light steps; to dart or skip along nimbly, especially in a l
to move with quick, light steps; to dart or skip along nimbly, especially in a lively or playful way.
The young dancer kilted across the wooden stage in a series of quick steps.
adverbial: kilt across / kilt through
Chiara kilted through the busy market to catch up with her friend.
The children kilted away from the rising tide, laughing as the water chased their feet.
Sade kilted nimbly out of the way when the cyclist rang his bell from behind.
- plod
slow, heavy movement, the opposite of nimbly darting
文法句型
kilt + adverbial (direction)
用法筆記
Chiefly Scottish and Northern English dialect; very rare in standard English. Learners will almost never encounter this sense in modern speech or writing. It is included here for completeness because it appears in historical dictionaries.