Hoopskirt

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An undergarment constructed with circular frameworks to create a voluminous shape within skirts or dresses
2. A type of underskirt built with a series of hoops or rings to hold out the outer fabric and create a wide silhouette
3. A framed garment worn beneath a skirt or dress to provide a rounded, full shape by supporting the fabric away from the body

Etymology: "Hoopskirt" is a compound of "hoop" and "skirt," and the two parts tell the story. "Hoop" comes from Old English "hōp," referring to a ring or band, and "skirt" was borrowed from Old Norse "skyrta," meaning a shirt or tunic, which later narrowed to the lower garment. Put together, the word describes a skirt stiffened by rings of hoops sewn into its lining, a structure that held the fabric out from the body rather than letting it hang. The compound is transparent in a way many English words are not: each element still means exactly what it says. The word is simply a descriptive name for the garment's most distinctive feature, the hoops that gave it its shape.

Synonyms: crinoline, petticoat, underskirt