girdle

Meaning

Noun

1. That which girds, encircles, or encloses; a circumference.
2. A belt or sash at the waist, often used to support stockings or hosiery.
3. A garment used to hold the abdomen, hips, buttocks, and/or thighs in a particular shape.
4. The line of greatest circumference of a brilliant-cut diamond, at which it is grasped by the setting.
5. A thin bed or stratum of stone.
6. The clitellum of an earthworm.
7. The removal or inversion of a ring of bark in order to kill or stunt a tree.

Verb

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.

Synonyms

belt

sash

waistband

band

cincture

gird

zone

waist-band

strap

ribbon

🎀

corset

tape

waistcloth

stays

ring

💍

girth

tie

deaden

encircle

waist

buckle

string

🪢

surround

cummerbund

limit

outer clothing

press

press out

prise

ream

region

restraint

shingles

squeeze

squeeze out

strip

swaddle

swathe

thong

tire

truss

tunic

twine

twinge

twitch

wad

waist belt

webbing

wring

girdle bone

Translations

Gürtel

ceinture

faja

cintura

gaine

cinturón

gordel

riem

Gurt

Hüfthalter

ceintuur

fascetta

busto

balteus

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈɡɝdl̩/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: girdel

Inherited from Old English: gyrdel

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: Gäddel

Cognate with Western Frisian: gurdle

Cognate with Dutch: gordel

Cognate with German: Gürtel

Cognate with Yiddish: גאַרטל

Cognate with Swedish: gördel

Cognate with Icelandic: gyrðill

In summary

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”).