to protect, defend, G. schirmen, OHG. scirm, scerm, protection, shield, G. schirm; perhaps akin to
Gr. a sunshade. Cf. Scaramouch, Scrimmage.] To fight slightly or in small parties; to engage in a
skirmish or skirmishes; to act as skirmishers.
Skirmish
(Skir"mish), n.[OE. scarmishe, scrymishe. See Skirmish, v. i.]
1. A slight fight in war; a light or desultory combat between detachments from armies, or between detached
and small bodies of troops.
2. A slight contest.
They never meet but there's a skirmish of wit.
Shak. Skirmisher
(Skir"mish*er) n. One who skirmishes. Specifically: pl. (Mil.) Soldiers deployed in loose
order, to cover the front or flanks of an advancing army or a marching column.
Skirr
(Skirr) v. t. [Cf. Scur, Scurry.] To ramble over in order to clear; to scour. [Archaic] Shak.
Skirr
(Skirr), v. i. To scour; to scud; to run. [Archaic]
Skirr
(Skirr), n. (Zoöl.) A tern. [Prov. Eng.]
Skirret
(Skir"ret) n. [A corrupted form equivalent to sugarwort.] (Bot.) An umbelliferous plant It is a
native of Asia, but has been long cultivated in Europe for its edible clustered tuberous roots, which are
very sweet.
Skirrhus
(Skir"rhus) n. (Med.) See Scirrhus.
Skirt
(Skirt) n. [OE. skyrt, of Scand. origin; cf. Icel. skyrta a shirt, Sw. skört a skirt, skjorta a shirt.
See Shirt.]
1. The lower and loose part of a coat, dress, or other like garment; the part below the waist; as, the skirt
of a coat, a dress, or a mantle.
2. A loose edging to any part of a dress. [Obs.]
A narrow lace, or a small skirt of ruffled linen, which runs along the upper part of the stays before, and
crosses the breast, being a part of the tucker, is called the modesty piece.
Addison. 3. Border; edge; margin; extreme part of anything "Here in the skirts of the forest." Shak.
4. A petticoat.
5. The diaphragm, or midriff, in animals. Dunglison.
Skirt
(Skirt), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Skirted; p. pr. & vb. n. Skirting.]
1. To cover with a skirt; to surround.
Skirted his loins and thighs with downy gold.
Milton. 2. To border; to form the border or edge of; to run along the edge of; as, the plain was skirted by rows of
trees. "When sundown skirts the moor." Tennyson.
Skirt
(Skirt), v. t. To be on the border; to live near the border, or extremity.
Savages . . . who skirt along our western frontiers.
S. S. Smith.
