gaiter

[ gey-ter ]

/ ˈgeɪ tər /

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noun

a covering of cloth or leather for the ankle and instep and sometimes also the lower leg, worn over the shoe or boot.Compare upper¹ (def. 7).

a cloth or leather shoe with elastic insertions at the sides.

an overshoe with a fabric top.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of gaiter

1765–75; <French guêtre,Middle French guiestre, guestre, perhaps <Frankish *wrist, cognate with German Rist ankle, wrist. See wrist

OTHER WORDS FROM gaiter

gai·ter·less, adjective

Words nearby gaiter

Gainsborough, 'gainst, Gaiseric, gait, gaited, gaiter, Gaithersburg, Gaitskell, Gaius, Gajdusek, gak

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use gaiter in a sentence

If you’re worried about snow getting into the shoe, you can invest in additional gaiters or waterproof hiking pants that tuck into your boots, creating a seal.
Best snow boots: Trudge confidently through snowfall|PopSci Commerce Team|February 17, 2021|Popular-Science
Each step required him to pull his body up nearly clear of soft waist-deep snow before the next step plunged him back in, sending snow cascading into his boots past his flimsy gaiters.
How One Man Survived a Plane Crash and 5 Days in the Snowy Canadian Wilderness—and Went On to Help Shape the Modern Ski Industry|Cassidy Randall|December 27, 2020|Time
So folks got creative, sewing their own masks out of fabric they had lying around, or using a gaiter or bandana.
Cloth face masks will soon have certification labels|Alexandra Ossola|October 28, 2020|Quartz
Most recently, a small study out of Duke found that respiratory emissions actually seemed to increase when the test subject was wearing a gaiter.
What You Need to Know About Wearing a Face Mask Outside|Joe Lindsey|September 30, 2020|Outside Online

If you’re looking at pure surface area, the biggest face covering you can find is a neck gaiter.
What You Need to Know About Wearing a Face Mask Outside|Joe Lindsey|September 30, 2020|Outside Online
They crept and crept, the hem of her petticoat just touching his gaiter, and his elbow sometimes brushing hers.
Tess of the d'Urbervilles|Thomas Hardy
He could stand in front of a battalion, and with a single sweep tell you if a buckle or a gaiter button were out of place.
The Exploits Of Brigadier Gerard|Arthur Conan Doyle
He said, “The hand that held my foot was icy cold, and the nimble fingers that unbuttoned the gaiter were burning hot.”
The Missing Link in Modern Spiritualism|A. Leah Underhill
One of the party, a gentleman of veracity, had his gaiter unbuttoned while sitting in the circle.
The Missing Link in Modern Spiritualism|A. Leah Underhill
Yes, Hanny Underhill was a little girl again in gaiter-length dresses, and her braids tied across at the back of her head.
A Little Girl of Long Ago|Amanda Millie Douglas

British Dictionary definitions for gaiter

gaiter

/ (ˈɡeɪtə) /

noun (often plural)

a cloth or leather covering for the leg or ankle buttoned on one side and usually strapped under the foot

Also called: spat a similar covering extending from the ankle to the instep

a waterproof covering for the ankle worn by climbers and walkers to prevent snow, mud, or gravel entering over the top of the boot

Derived forms of gaiter

gaiterless, adjective

Word Origin for gaiter

C18: from French guêtre, probably of Germanic origin and related to wrist

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012