What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Skirt vs Pouf - What's the difference?

skirt | pouf |

As nouns the difference between skirt and pouf

is that skirt is an article of clothing, usually worn by women and girls, that hangs from the waist and covers the lower part of the body while pouf is a headdress for women popular in 18th century France.

As a verb skirt

is to be on or form the border of.

As an interjection pouf is

onomatopoeia indicating a cloud of smoke or wind; caused by a deflating object, or a magical disappearance.

skirt

English

(wikipedia skirt)

Noun

(en noun)
  • An article of clothing, usually worn by women and girls, that hangs from the waist and covers the lower part of the body.
  • * , The Purple Dress :
    • "I like purple best," said Maida. "And old Schlegel has promised to make it for $8. It's going to be lovely. I'm going to have a plaited skirt and a blouse coat trimmed with a band of galloon under a white cloth collar with two rows of—"
  • The part of a dress or robe that hangs below the waist.
  • * 1885 , , The Science of Dress in Theory and Practice , Chapter XI:
    • The petticoats and skirts ordinarily worn are decidedly the heaviest part of the dress ; hence it is necessary that some reform should be effected in these.
  • A loose edging to any part of a dress.
  • * Addison
    • 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.
  • A petticoat.
  • (pejorative, slang) A woman.
  • * 1931 , , Alleys of Peril :
    • "Mate," said the Cockney, after we'd finished about half the bottle, "it comes to me that we're a couple o' blightin' idjits to be workin' for a skirt ."
    "What d'ya mean?" I asked, taking a pull at the bottle.
    "Well, 'ere's us, two red-blooded 'e-men, takin' orders from a lousy little frail, 'andin' the swag h'over to 'er, and takin' wot she warnts to 'and us, w'en we could 'ave the 'ole lot. Take this job 'ere now--"
  • (UK, colloquial) Women collectively, in a sexual context.
  • (UK, colloquial) Sexual intercourse with a woman.
  • Border; edge; margin; extreme part of anything.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Here in the skirts of the forest.
  • The diaphragm, or midriff, in animals.
    • (Dunglison)

    Usage notes

    * (article of clothing) It was formerly common to speak of “skirts” (plural) rather than “a skirt”. In some cases this served to emphasize an array of skirts of underskirts, or of pleats and folds in a single skirt; in other cases it made little or no difference in meaning.

    Derived terms

    * fender skirt * hobble skirt * mermaid skirt * miniskirt * pencil skirt * prairie skirt * rah-rah skirt * skirt chaser * skirted * skirtless * unskirted

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To be on or form the border of.
    • The plain was skirted by rows of trees.
  • To move around or along the border of; to avoid the center of.
  • * 1922 , (Virginia Woolf), (w, Jacob's Room) Chapter 1
    • An enormous man and woman (it was early-closing day) were stretched motionless, with their heads on pocket-handkerchiefs, side by side, within a few feet of the sea, while two or three gulls gracefully skirted the incoming waves, and settled near their boots.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-01, volume=407, issue=8838
    • , page=13 (Technology Quarterly), magazine=(The Economist) , title= Ideas coming down the track , passage=A “moving platform” scheme
  • To cover with a skirt; to surround.
  • * Milton
    • skirted his loins and thighs with downy gold

    Related terms

    * skirting-board * outskirt

    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words

    pouf

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) pouf, (pouff), of imitative origin; compare (puff).

    Alternative forms

    * pouffe

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (historical) A headdress for women popular in 18th century France.
  • A high hair style for women consisting of a roll or pad of hair, worn up.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2009, date=February 10, author=Katie Thomas, title=The Poodle Can’t Talk Now; She’s in With Her Stylist, work=New York Times citation
    • , passage=Hosaka, nearly everyone agrees, is a master of detail, an artist who tends his poodles’ poufs as if they were bonsai trees from his native Japan.}}
  • (dressmaking) Part of an item of clothing consisting of gathered fabric in a bunch.
  • A low cushioned seat with no back; a padded footstool.
  • * 1922 , , Asphodel :
    • The voice came from the end of the divan but Hermione, seated square before the fire on a low pouffe did not turn to face its suave producer.
  • * 1948 , (John Creasey), The Case Against Paul Raeburn :
    • Raeburn's handsome head was resting against the back of his chair; Eve sat on a pouf in front of the fire.
  • * 1971 , ‘Slaughter at the Summer Palace’, Time , 26 Aug 1971:
    • Italian Ambassador Amedeo Guillet, who makes it a practice never to eat at midday, lounged on a Moroccan pouf reading The Peter Principle .
  • A short skirt gathered into a rounded puffy shape; a puffball.
  • A ball of fabric (such as nylon monofilament netting) used for washing (as an alternative to a flannel, washcloth, sponge, etc.) .
  • (dated) A small saddle cushion worn atop the buttocks (as a fashion trend – similar to a bustle) .
    • Synonyms
    * (homosexual) horse's hoof (cockney rhyming slang), poofta; pooftah; poofter; poof

    Etymology 2

    Imitative.

    Alternative forms

    poof

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • Onomatopoeia indicating a cloud of smoke or wind; caused by a deflating object, or a magical disappearance.
    • Pouf , he was gone.

    Anagrams

    * ----