skirt as full as it could be <gathered>

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sampathronjay

Senior Member
Sinhala
Can you explain what is in bold?

Ere long, Adele’s little foot was heard tripping across
the hall. She entered, transformed as her guardian had
predicted. A dress of rose-coloured satin, very short, and as
full in the skirt as it could be gathered, replaced the brown
frock she had previously worn;

Jane Eyre - Chapter 14.
 
    • B

    Barque

    Banned
    Tamil
    This is the applicable definition of "gather" (WR dictionary): to pull (cloth) along a thread in fine folds or puckers by means of even stitches:[~ + object] She gathered the hem of the dress.

    (Hint - The dictionary is a useful tool - if you find a word used in an unfamiliar context, look for a definition that fits it.)

    "Full" here seems to mean "having multiple folds" rather than "billowing out".
     
    S

    sampathronjay

    Senior Member
    Sinhala
    Barque said:
    This is the applicable definition of "gather" (WR dictionary): to pull (cloth) along a thread in fine folds or puckers by means of even stitches:[~ + object] She gathered the hem of the dress.

    (Hint - The dictionary is a useful tool - if you find a word used in an unfamiliar context, look for a definition that fits it.)

    "Full" here seems to mean "having multiple folds" rather than "billowing out".
    Click to expand...
    :thumbsup:
     
    velisarius

    velisarius

    Senior Member
    Greece
    British English (Sussex)
    It might well have been "billowing out" like a crinoline. It was an extremely full skirt: a lot of material had been used; in fact it would have been impossible to use more material. There is a limit to the amount of material you can gather by sewing it so that it fits a young girl's waist. From the waist down, the skirt would have been very full.
     
    S

    sampathronjay

    Senior Member
    Sinhala
    velisarius said:
    It might well have been "billowing out" like a crinoline. It was an extremely full skirt: a lot of material had been used; in fact it would have been impossible to use more material. There is a limit to the amount of material you can gather by sewing it so that it fits a young girl's waist. From the waist down, the skirt would have been very full.
    Click to expand...
    :thumbsup:
     
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