gaiter

[gey-ter] /ˈgeɪ tər/
noun
1.
a covering of cloth or leather for the ankle and instep and sometimes also the lower leg, worn over the shoe or boot.
Compare upper (def 7).
2.
a cloth or leather shoe with elastic insertions at the sides.
3.
an overshoe with a fabric top.
Origin
1765-75; < French guêtre, Middle French guiestre, guestre, perhaps < Frankish *wrist, cognate with German Rist ankle, wrist. See wrist
Related forms
gaiterless, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for gaiter

gaiter

/ˈɡeɪtə/
noun (often pl)
1.
a cloth or leather covering for the leg or ankle buttoned on one side and usually strapped under the foot
2.
Also called spat. a similar covering extending from the ankle to the instep
3.
a waterproof covering for the ankle worn by climbers and walkers to prevent snow, mud, or gravel entering over the top of the boot
Derived Forms
gaiterless, adjective
Word Origin
C18: from French guêtre, probably of Germanic origin and related to wrist
Word Origin and History for gaiter
n.

"leather cover for the ankle," 1775, perhaps from French guêtre "belonging to peasant attire," from Middle French *guestre, probably from Frankish *wrist "instep," from Proto-Germanic *wirstiz (cf. German Rist "instep;" see wrist). Related: Gaiters.