# gaiter

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɡeɪ.tə/

## Definitions
1. A covering of cloth or leather for the ankle and instep.
2. A covering cloth or leather for the whole leg from the knee to the instep, fitting down upon the shoe.
3. A neck gaiter.
4. A part of the ecclesiastical garb of a bishop.
5. A protective flexible sleeve covering a moving part, intended to keep the part clean.

## Etymology
Borrowed from French guêtre, from Middle French guiestres, guestes pl, from Old French *gueste, from Frankish *wastiju, from Proto-Germanic *wastijō (“garment; dress”).
Cognate with Middle High German wester (“a child's chrisom-cloth”), Middle High German westebarn (“godchild”), Old English wæstling (“a coverlet”), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐍃𐍄𐌹 (wasti, “garment; dress”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/gaiter