Dictionary

lightskirt en · NOUN

Etymology

From light + skirt.

Meanings

1. (dated, derogatory) A woman of lax morality; a prostitute.
   • She’s lucky her gentleman agreed to a hasty marriage after she went and ruined herself. Lightskirts. 2020 December 25, Chris Van Dusen, “Diamond of the First Water”, in Bridgerton, season 1, episode 1, spoken by Lady Portia Featherington:
   • And while the peppery little beadle's eyes were searching the japer out, another added, “More's the pity, for 'er's a bit of a light-skirt.” 1917, George W. Gough, The Yeoman Adventurer, page 105:
   • O you light-skirts! who is it now? You think I can't guess what your business is? Is it aught fresh, or only old stuff warmed? 1912, Lascelles Abercrombie, Emblems of Love:
   • “A no-better-than-she-should-be, a light-skirts that you may see half-naked any evening for a couple of francs,” La Cibot answered in an undertone for Mme. Chapoulot’s ear. 1901 [1847], Ellen Marriage, transl., Cousin Pons, translation of Le Cousin Pons by Honoré de Balzac:
   • The Greekes were fooles, that for a light-skirt strumper, Chang'd the stil vial to a lowd-mouthd trumpet. 1639, Nathaneel Whiting, The most pleasante historie of Albino and Bellama:

Forms