girdle

[ gur-dl ]

/ ˈgɜr dl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR girdle ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a lightweight undergarment, worn especially by women, often partly or entirely of elastic or boned, for supporting and giving a slimmer appearance to the abdomen, hips, and buttocks.

a belt, cord, sash, or the like, worn about the waist.

anything that encircles, confines, or limits.

Jewelry. the edge or narrow band between the upper and lower facets of a gem.

Anatomy. the bony framework that unites the upper or lower extremities to the axial skeleton.

Architecture. an ornamental band, especially one surrounding the shaft of a column.

a ring made about a tree trunk, branch, etc., by removing a band of bark.

verb (used with object), gir·dled, gir·dling.

to encircle with a belt; gird.

to encompass; enclose; encircle.

to move around (something or someone) in a circle.

to cut away the bark and cambium in a ring around (a tree, branch, etc.).

Jewelry. round¹(def 49).

Origin of girdle

before 1000; Middle English; Old English gyrdel, derivative of girdan to gird¹

SYNONYMS FOR girdle

3 belt, circle, ring, band, hedge.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR girdle ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM girdle

gir·dle·like, adjective gir·dling·ly, adverb un·gir·dle, verb (used with object), un·gir·dled, un·gir·dling.

Words nearby girdle

giraud, giraudoux, gird, gird one's loins, girder, girdle, girdle anesthesia, girdle sensation, girdle traverse, girdle-tailed lizard, girdler

Example sentences from the Web for girdled

All that remained now were light green hose attached to a wisp of silk that girdled her hips.

The Saracen: The Holy War |Robert Shea
He was powerfully built, naked but for a girdled loincloth, which was stained with blood and crusted with dried mire.

Shadows in the Moonlight |Robert E. Howard
The towering Upas may be girdled, even if not felled at once to earth.

Charles Sumner; His Complete Works, Volume XI (of 20) |Charles Sumner
Paul raised her drooping figure from the ground and girdled her in a grasp of iron.

The Shadow of the Czar |John R. Carling

When they found them, long afterward, Riderhood's body was girdled still with the schoolmaster's arms and they held him tight.

Tales from Dickens |Charles Dickens and Hallie Erminie Rives

British Dictionary definitions for girdled (1 of 2)

girdle ¹

/ (ˈɡɜːdəl) /

noun

a woman's elastic corset covering the waist to the thigh

anything that surrounds or encircles

a belt or sash

jewellery the outer edge of a gem

anatomy any encircling structure or part See pectoral girdle, pelvic girdle

the mark left on a tree trunk after the removal of a ring of bark

verb (tr)

to put a girdle on or around

to surround or encircle

to remove a ring of bark from (a tree or branch), thus causing it to die

Derived forms of girdle

girdle-like, adjective

Word Origin for girdle

Old English gyrdel, of Germanic origin; related to Old Norse gyrthill, Old Frisian gerdel, Old High German gurtila; see gird 1

British Dictionary definitions for girdled (2 of 2)

girdle ²

/ (ˈɡɜːdəl) /

noun

Scot and Northern English dialect another word for griddle

Medical definitions for girdled

girdle

[ gûr′dl ]

n.

Something that encircles like a belt.

An elasticized, flexible undergarment worn over the waist and hips.

The pelvic or pectoral girdle.

Scientific definitions for girdled

girdle

[ gûr′dl ]

To kill a tree or woody shrub by removing or destroying a band of bark and cambium from its circumference. The plants die because the distribution of food down from the leaves (through the phloem) and sometimes the flow of water and nutrients up from the roots (through the xylem) is disrupted, and the cambium can no longer regenerate these vascular tissues to repair the damage. Unwanted trees, such as invasive or nonnative species, are often eliminated by girdling. Some plant diseases kill trees by destroying a ring of cambium and so girdling them. Gnawing animals, especially rodents, can also girdle trees.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

girdle

noun

verb (used with object), gir·dled, gir·dling.

Origin of girdle

SYNONYMS FOR girdle

OTHER WORDS FROM girdle

Words nearby girdle

Example sentences from the Web for girdled

British Dictionary definitions for girdled (1 of 2)

noun

verb (tr)

Derived forms of girdle

Word Origin for girdle

British Dictionary definitions for girdled (2 of 2)

noun

Medical definitions for girdled

n.

Scientific definitions for girdled

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

girdle

noun

verb (used with object), gir·dled, gir·dling.

Origin of girdle

SYNONYMS FOR girdle

OTHER WORDS FROM girdle

Words nearby girdle

Words related to girdled

Example sentences from the Web for girdled

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for girdled (1 of 2)

noun

verb (tr)

Derived forms of girdle

Word Origin for girdle

British Dictionary definitions for girdled (2 of 2)

noun

Medical definitions for girdled

n.

Scientific definitions for girdled

British Dictionary definitions for girdled (1 of 2)