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outskirtsthe outer areas of a town or city, especially the residential areas

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: the outer areas of a town or city, especially the residential areas

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈaʊtskɜːrts/

Example Sentences

  • My grandmother lives on the outskirts where WiFi still thinks it's 1995.
  • The factory was built on the outskirts of the town to reduce pollution in the city center.
  • On the outskirts, you can still see cows, which is basically free entertainment for city kids.

outskirts

NOUN

[/ˈaʊtskɜːrts/]

the outer areas of a town or city, especially the residential areas

The small cottage sits quietly on the outskirts of the busy city.
💡 Concept

The small cottage sits quietly on the outskirts of the busy city.

Hanging shirts on the outskirts, the cold wind hurts!
🎵 Rhyme

Hanging shirts on the outskirts, the cold wind hurts!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈaʊtskɜːrts/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈaʊtskɜːts/

🌳Etymology

Prefixout-
Rootskirt
Suffix-s

Origin

Outskirts is a compound word formed from 'out' (meaning away or outside) and 'skirt' (meaning edge or border). The term 'skirt' originally referred not only to the garment but also to the action of bordering or surrounding something, making 'outskirts' literally mean the outer edges that surround a place, particularly the peripheral areas surrounding a city or town.

Breakdown

out- (away, outside) + skirt (edge, border, to surround) + -s (plural suffix). The word metaphorically applies the concept of a skirt surrounding a garment to describe the outer regions surrounding an urban center.

🎵Rhyme

shirtshurtserts
shirts
hurts
erts

🔗Collocations

on the outskirts
city outskirts
northern outskirts
reach the outskirts
industrial outskirts
sprawling outskirts

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

My grandmother lives on the outskirts where WiFi still thinks it's 1995.

The factory was built on the outskirts of the town to reduce pollution in the city center.

😄 Fun example

On the outskirts, you can still see cows, which is basically free entertainment for city kids.

Housing prices are much cheaper on the outskirts compared to downtown areas.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

suburbsperipheryedgefringeborder

Antonyms

centerdowntowncore

Related

countrysideresidentialsuburbanruralvicinity

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