kirtle

[ kur-tl ]

/ ˈkɜr tl /

a woman's loose gown, worn in the Middle Ages.

Obsolete. a man's tunic.

Origin of kirtle

before 900; Middle English kirtel, Old English cyrtel, apparently equivalent to cyrt(an) to shorten (≪ Latin curtus shortened) + -el -le

kir·tled, adjective

He sheareth a deal from his kirtle meet, To make her sandals for her feet.

Poems by the Way |William Morris
Springing with a bound over the Kirtle, he seized Blacket House in the act of flight.

Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Vol. 9 |Various
And I am weary withal, and this kirtle is light and easy to me.

The Roots of the Mountains |William Morris
A kirtle is a gown; Skeat suggests that it is a diminutive of skirt.

Milton's Comus |John Milton

A kirtle surrounds her waist, and falls with a feather fringe down to just above the knees.

Harper's Magazine, Vol III, June 1851 |Various

kirtle

/ (ˈkɜːtəl) /

a woman's skirt or dress

a man's coat

Old English cyrtel, probably from cyrtan to shorten, ultimately from Latin curtus cut short