[uhn-der-skurt] 
| a skirt, as a petticoat, worn under another skirt or a dress. |
| un·der·skirt (ŭn'dər-skûrt') n.
|
underskirt
in modern usage, an underskirt worn by women. The petycote (probably derived from the Old French petite cote, "little coat") appeared in literature in the 15th century in reference to a kind of padded waistcoat, or undercoat, worn for warmth over the shirt by men. The petticoat developed as a piece of women's apparel-a skirt worn under an overgown-at the end of the Middle Ages. By the beginning of the 16th century, the overgown had an inverted V opening, and the petticoat, now visible, was brocaded or embroidered
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dərˌskɜrt