Adjacent Words

Girdle definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

GIRD'LE, n.
1. A band or belt; something drawn round the waist of a person, and tied or buckled; as a girdle of fine lines; a leathern girdle.
2. Inclosure; circumference.
3. The zodiac.
4. A round iron plate for baking.
5. Among jewelers,the line which encompasses the stone, parallel to the horizon.
GIRD'LE, v.t. To bind with a belt or sash; to gird.
1. To inclose; to enrivon; to shut in.
2. In America, to make a circular incision, like a belt, through the bark and alburnum of a tree to kill it.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an encircling or ringlike structure
2: a band of material around the waist that strengthens a skirt or trousers [syn: girdle, cincture, sash, waistband, waistcloth]
3: a woman's close-fitting foundation garment [syn: corset, girdle, stays] v
1: cut a girdle around so as to kill by interrupting the circulation of water and nutrients; "girdle the plant" [syn: girdle, deaden]
2: put a girdle on or around; "gird your loins" [syn: girdle, gird]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English girdel, from Old English gyrdel; akin to Old High German gurtil girdle, Old English gyrdan to gird Date: before 12th century 1. something that encircles or confines: as a. an article of dress encircling the body usually at the waist b. a woman's close-fitting undergarment often boned and usually elasticized that extends from the waist to below the hips c. (1) shoulder girdle (2) pelvic girdle 2. the edge of a brilliant that is grasped by the setting — see brilliant illustration II. transitive verb (girdled; girdling) Date: 1582 1. to encircle with or as if with a girdle 2. to cut away the bark and cambium in a ring around (a plant) usually to kill by interrupting the circulation of water and nutrients 3. to move around ; circle <girdled the world>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. & v. --n. 1 a belt or cord worn round the waist. 2 a woman's corset extending from waist to thigh. 3 a thing that surrounds like a girdle. 4 the bony support for a limb (pelvic girdle). 5 the part of a cut gem dividing the crown from the base and embraced by the setting. 6 a ring round a tree made by the removal of bark. --v.tr. 1 surround with a girdle. 2 remove a ring of bark from (a tree), esp. to make it more fruitful. Etymology: OE gyrdel: see GIRD(1) 2. n. Sc. & N.Engl. a circular iron plate placed over a fire or otherwise heated for baking, toasting, etc. Etymology: var. of GRIDDLE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Girdle Gir"dle, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Girdled; p. pr. & vb. n. Girdling.] 1. To bind with a belt or sash; to gird. --Shak. 2. To inclose; to environ; to shut in. Those sleeping stones, That as a waist doth girdle you about. --Shak. 3. To make a cut or gnaw a groove around (a tree, etc.) through the bark and alburnum, thus killing it. [U. S.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Girdle Gir"dle, n. A griddle. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Girdle Gir"dle, n. [OE. gurdel, girdel, AS. gyrdel, fr. gyrdan; akin to D. gordel, G. g["u]rtel, Icel. gyr?ill. See Gird, v. t., to encircle, and cf. Girth, n.] 1. That which girds, encircles, or incloses; a circumference; a belt; esp., a belt, sash, or article of dress encircling the body usually at the waist; a cestus. Within the girdle of these walls. --Shak. Their breasts girded with golden girdles. --Rev. xv. 6. 2. The zodiac; also, the equator. [Poetic] --Bacon. From the world's girdle to the frozen pole. --Cowper. That gems the starry girdle of the year. --Campbell. 3. (Jewelry) The line ofgreatest circumference of a brilliant-cut diamond, at which it is grasped by the setting. See Illust. of Brilliant. --Knight. 4. (Mining) A thin bed or stratum of stone. --Raymond. 5. (Zo["o]l.) The clitellus of an earthworm. Girdle bone (Anat.), the sphenethmoid. See under Sphenethmoid. Girdle wheel, a spinning wheel. Sea girdle (Zo["o]l.), a ctenophore. See Venus's girdle, under Venus. Shoulder, Pectoral, & Pelvic, girdle. (Anat.) See under Pectoral, and Pelvic. To have under the girdle, to have bound to one, that is, in subjection.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Girdle Gir"dle, n. [OE. gurdel, girdel, AS. gyrdel, fr. gyrdan; akin to D. gordel, G. g["u]rtel, Icel. gyr?ill. See Gird, v. t., to encircle, and cf. Girth, n.] 1. That which girds, encircles, or incloses; a circumference; a belt; esp., a belt, sash, or article of dress encircling the body usually at the waist; a cestus. Within the girdle of these walls. --Shak. Their breasts girded with golden girdles. --Rev. xv. 6. 2. The zodiac; also, the equator. [Poetic] --Bacon. From the world's girdle to the frozen pole. --Cowper. That gems the starry girdle of the year. --Campbell. 3. (Jewelry) The line ofgreatest circumference of a brilliant-cut diamond, at which it is grasped by the setting. See Illust. of Brilliant. --Knight. 4. (Mining) A thin bed or stratum of stone. --Raymond. 5. (Zo["o]l.) The clitellus of an earthworm. Girdle bone (Anat.), the sphenethmoid. See under Sphenethmoid. Girdle wheel, a spinning wheel. Sea girdle (Zo["o]l.), a ctenophore. See Venus's girdle, under Venus. Shoulder, Pectoral, & Pelvic, girdle. (Anat.) See under Pectoral, and Pelvic. To have under the girdle, to have bound to one, that is, in subjection.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(girdles, girdling, girdled) A girdle is a piece of women's underwear that fits tightly around the stomach and hips. N-COUNT

Easton's Bible Dictionary

(1.) Heb. hagor, a girdle of any kind worn by soldiers (1 Sam. 18:4; 2 Sam. 20:8; 1 Kings 2:5; 2 Kings 3:21) or women (Isa. 3:24).

(2.) Heb. 'ezor, something "bound," worn by prophets (2 Kings 1:8; Jer. 13:1), soldiers (Isa. 5:27; 2 Sam. 20:8; Ezek. 23:15), Kings (Job 12:18).

(3.) Heb. mezah, a "band," a girdle worn by men alone (Ps. 109:19; Isa. 22:21).

(4.) Heb. 'abnet, the girdle of sacerdotal and state officers (Ex. 28:4, 39, 40; 29:9; 39:29).

(5.) Heb. hesheb, the "curious girdle" (Ex. 28:8; R.V., "cunningly woven band") was attached to the ephod, and was made of the same material.

The common girdle was made of leather (2 Kings 1:8; Matt. 3:4); a finer sort of linen (Jer. 13:1; Ezek. 16:10; Dan. 10:5). Girdles of sackcloth were worn in token of sorrow (Isa. 3:24; 22:12). They were variously fastened to the wearer (Mark 1:6; Jer. 13:1; Ezek. 16:10).

The girdle was a symbol of strength and power (Job 12:18, 21; 30:11; Isa. 22:21; 45:5). "Righteousness and faithfulness" are the girdle of the Messiah (Isa. 11:5).

Girdles were used as purses or pockets (Matt. 10:9. A. V., "purses;" R.V., marg., "girdles." Also Mark 6:8).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

gur'-d'-l.

See ARMOR; DRESS.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. Band (for the waist), belt, cincture, cestus. II. v. a. 1. Gird, bind round. 2. Environ, encompass, surround, enclose, embrace, girt, shut in. 3. [U. S.] Cut round, incise about, cut a girth round the bark of.

Moby Thesaurus

Mystik tape, Scotch tape, adhesive tape, advocate, alpenstock, anklet, arm, armlet, athletic supporter, back, backbone, backing, band, bandage, bandeau, batten, bearer, begird, belt, belt in, bend, beset, bind, bind up, bra, brace, bracelet, bracer, bracket, brassiere, bundle, buttress, cane, carrier, cellophane tape, cervix, chain, cinch, cincture, cingulum, circle, circuit, circuiteer, circulate, circumambulate, circummigrate, circumnavigate, circumvent, close the circle, cloth tape, collar, collarband, come full circle, compass, corselet, corset, crook, crutch, cycle, describe a circle, do up, earring, ecliptic, encincture, encircle, encompass, engird, ensphere, equator, fascia, fillet, finger ring, flank, foundation garment, friction tape, fulcrum, gird, girdle the globe, girt, girth, go about, go around, go round, go the round, great circle, guy, guywire, gyre, hem, hoop, jock, jockstrap, lace, lap, lash, lath, leash, ligula, ligule, list, loop, mainstay, maintainer, make a circuit, masking tape, mast, neck, neckband, necklace, nose ring, orbit, plank, plastic tape, prop, quoit, reinforce, reinforcement, reinforcer, rest, resting place, revolve, ribband, ribbon, rigging, ring, rope, round, sash, shoulder, shred, shroud, skirt, slat, slip, spill, spine, spiral, splice, spline, sprit, staff, standing rigging, stave, stay, stays, stick, stiffener, strake, strap, strengthener, strip, strop, support, supporter, surround, sustainer, swaddle, swathe, taenia, tape, tape measure, tapeline, ticker tape, tie, tie up, truss, twine around, upholder, waistband, walking stick, wheel, wire, wrap, wrap up, wreathe, wreathe around, wristband, wristlet, zodiac, zone