Link Centre Dictionary

girdle

UK/ˈɡɜːdl̩/ US/ˈɡɝdl̩/ uncommon

noun

1.

an encircling or ringlike structure

2.

a band of material around the waist that strengthens a skirt or trousers

verb

1.

cut a girdle around so as to kill by interrupting the circulation of water and nutrients

  • “girdle the plant”
Synonyms
2.

put a girdle on or around

  • “gird your loins”
Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English girdel, gerdel, gurdel, from Old English gyrdel, from Proto-West Germanic *gurdil, from Proto-Germanic *gurdilaz (“girdle, belt”), equivalent to gird + -le. Cognates Cognate with Saterland Frisian Gäddel (“belt”), West Frisian gurdle, gurle, gurl (“belt”), Dutch gordel (“belt”), German Gürtel (“belt”), Yiddish גאַרטל (gartl, “belt”) (whence gartel, a doublet of girdle), Swedish gördel (“girdle”), Icelandic gyrðill (“girdle”).

Phrases

  • athlete's girdle
  • Girdle Ness
  • girdle scone
  • girdle traverse
  • limb girdle syndrome
  • notch girdle
  • panty girdle
  • pectoral girdle

Related words

Word family

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.