What does culotte mean?
A culotte is a garment that combines the practicality of trousers with the appearance of a skirt: wide, loose-fitting legs are sewn together at a high waistband so that the fabric falls away from the body like a pleated skirt. In everyday English the word almost always appears in the plural, 'culottes', even when only one item of clothing is meant, much as one speaks of 'trousers' or 'scissors'. The style became especially fashionable for women during the twentieth century and remains a warm-weather alternative to skirts and shorts. The word comes from French, where it historically referred to the close-fitting breeches worn by men — a fact made famous by the Revolutionary-era term 'sans-culottes', meaning those without such breeches. Today, 'culotte' evokes a relaxed yet tailored sensibility and is frequently paired with fabrics like linen, silk, or cotton in both casual and formal wardrobes.
nounA pair of trousers cut wide and full at the hips so that they hang like a skirt; usually worn in the plural as 'culottes'.
- (usually in the plural 'culottes') A garment consisting of wide-legged trousers designed to resemble a skirt.
- In cycling, a pair of padded shorts worn for riding (as in 'bike culottes' or, more commonly, 'cycling shorts').
"She wore linen culottes and a simple white shirt to the garden party."
"For the summer wedding she chose flowing silk culottes rather than a dress."
"He packed his padded bike culottes for the long weekend ride."
The plural is the standard and near-universal form; a single garment is still referred to as 'culottes' or 'a pair of culottes'.
"She bought two pairs of culottes for the summer."
The word 'culotte' literally means 'little bottom' in French — the same root that gives us 'cul-de-sac', or 'bottom of the bag'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of culotte
The English word 'culotte' was borrowed from French, where it meant 'breeches' or 'trousers'. It derives ultimately from the Latin 'culus', meaning 'buttocks' or 'bottom', via the Old French 'cul' (backside), with '-otte' serving as a diminutive suffix — hence literally 'little bottom'. The same root gives us 'cul-de-sac', literally 'bottom of the bag'. In eighteenth-century France the related term 'sans-culottes' described working-class revolutionaries who wore trousers instead of the knee breeches favoured by the aristocracy.
How culotte is actually used
Almost always used in the plural ('culottes'), even when referring to a single garment; the singular 'culotte' is rare in ordinary use. The word carries a slightly fashion-conscious, feminine connotation in modern usage, though it originally referred to men's breeches in French.
Easily confused with culotte
'Culotte' refers to wide-legged trouser-skirt garments, while 'couture' refers to high-fashion dressmaking.