petticoat UK /ˈpɛt.ɪ.kəʊt/US /ˈpɛt.ɪ.koʊt/noun 7adjective 1verb 1forms 3 noun7 •A light woman's undergarment worn under a dress or skirt, and hanging either from the shoulders or (now especially) from the waist; a kind of slip, worn to make the skirt fuller, or for extra warmth. •(historical) A woman's undercoat, worn to be displayed beneath an open gown. •(slang) A woman. •(historical) A tight, usually padded undercoat worn by women over a shirt and under the doublet. •(historical) A fisherman's loose canvas or oilcloth skirt. •(historical) A bell-mouthed piece over the exhaust nozzles in the smokebox of a locomotive, strengthening and equalising the draught through the boiler-tubes. •(no longer used, historical) A type of ornamental skirt or underskirt, often displayed below a dress; chiefly in plural, designating a woman's skirts collectively. adjective1 •(old-fashioned) Feminine; female; involving a woman.Phoeb[us]. Know you the Reason of this present Summons? […] / Merc[ury]. And Venus may know more than both of us, / For 'tis some Petticoat Affair I guess. — 1690 verb1 •To dress in a petticoat. formspetticoated · petticoating · petticoats