A very short skirt that ends well above the knee, worn especially since the 1960s.
Compound: 'mini' (from Latin 'minimus,' smallest) plus 'skirt.' Invented by British designer Mary Quant in the early 1960s as part of the youth revolution; the term entered common usage immediately as the style spread.
Mary Quant named the miniskirt after the British Mini car—both were symbols of youth freedom and rebellion in 1960s London—and wearing one was genuinely scandalous then; today's clothing activism often references the 'right to show your knees' as a fundamental freedom issue.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.