# petticoat

/ˈpɛtiˌkoʊt/ (US) · /pˈɛtɪkˌəʊt/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/petticoat
Updated: 2026-10-17

## Definition

a light skirt you wear under a dress or a long skirt to make it look fuller or to keep it from touching your legs.

For teachers: a women's underskirt worn beneath a dress or outer skirt to add fullness, warmth, or modesty. Typically made of light fabric and extending from the waist to below the knee.

## Examples

- She wears a white petticoat under her wedding dress.
- The dancer lifted her skirt slightly to show the lace edge of her petticoat during the folk performance.
- In the museum display, a petticoat with layers of stiff cotton revealed how much hidden work went into the wide shape of nineteenth-century dresses.

## Synonyms

slip, underskirt

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.