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Webster 1913 Edition

Girdle

Gir′dle

,
Noun.
A griddle.
[Scot. & Prov. Eng.]

Gir′dle

,
Noun.
[OE.
gurdel
,
girdel
, AS.
gyrdel
, fr.
gyrdan
; akin to D.
gordel
, G.
gürtel
, Icel.
gyr[GREEK]ill
. See
Gird
,
Verb.
T.
, to encircle, and cf.
Girth
,
Noun.
]
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.
Shakespeare
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.
(Zool.)
The clitellus of an earthworm.
Girdle bone
(Anat.)
,
the sphenethmoid. See under
Sphenethmoid
.
–
Girdle wheel
,
a spinning wheel.
–
Sea girdle
(Zool.)
,
a ctenophore. See
Venus's girdle
, under
Venus
.
–
Shoulder
,
Pectoral
, and
Pelvic
,
girdle
.
(Anat.)
See under
Pectoral
, and
Pelvic
.
–
To have under the girdle
,
to have bound to one, that is, in subjection.

Gir′dle

,
Verb.
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.
Shakespeare
3.
To make a cut or gnaw a groove around (a tree, etc.) through the bark and alburnum, thus killing it.
[U. S.]

Webster 1828 Edition

Girdle

GIRD'LE

,
Noun.
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

,
Verb.
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.

Definition 2025

girdle

girdle

English

A girdle.

Noun

girdle ‎(plural girdles)

  1. That which girds, encircles, or encloses; a circumference
    • Shakespeare
      within the girdle of these walls
  2. A belt or elasticated corset; especially, a belt, sash, or article of dress encircling the body usually at the waist, often used to support stockings or hosiery.
    • Bible, Revelation xv. 6
      their breasts girded with golden girdles
  3. The zodiac; also, the equator.
    • Campbell
      that gems the starry girdle of the year
    • Cowper
      from the world's girdle to the frozen pole
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Francis Bacon to this entry?)
  4. The line of greatest circumference of a brilliant-cut diamond, at which it is grasped by the setting.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Knight to this entry?)
  5. (mining) A thin bed or stratum of stone.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Raymond to this entry?)
  6. The clitellum of an earthworm.
  7. (Scotland, Northern English) Alternative form of griddle

Translations

Verb

girdle ‎(third-person singular simple present girdles, present participle girdling, simple past and past participle girdled)

  1. (transitive) To gird, encircle, or constrain by such means.
  2. (transitive) To kill or stunt a tree by removing or inverting a ring of bark.

Translations

Anagrams

Etymology

From Middle English girdel, gerdel, gurdel, from Old English gyrdel, from Proto-Germanic *gurdilaz ‎(“girdle, belt”), equivalent to gird +‎ -le. Cognate with Dutch gordel ‎(“girdle”), German Gürtel ‎(“girdle”), Swedish gördel ‎(“girdle”), Icelandic gyrðill ‎(“girdle”), Yiddish גאַרטל ‎(gartl) (whence gartel).

Pronunciation

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