girth

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A band passed under the belly of an animal, which holds a saddle or a harness saddle in place.
2. (countable, uncountable) The part of an animal around which the girth fits.
3. (countable, informal, uncountable) One's waistline circumference, most often a large one.
4. (countable, uncountable) A small horizontal brace or girder.
5. (countable, uncountable) The distance measured around an object; the circumference.
6. (countable, uncountable) The length of the shortest cycle in a graph.

Verb

To bind as if with a girth or band.

Synonyms

circumference

cinch

belt

sash

surcingle

perimeter

girdle

strap

belly-band

compass

🧭

gird

girt

circuit

waist

surroundings

circumference of a circle

tie beam

measurement around waist

measurement

bond beam

tie wire

saddle-girth

belly band

ring beam

strand wire bond

tieline

band

abdominal bandage

belting

binding

borough

contour

district

expansion

periphery

precinct

range

size

tape measure

thickness

width

measure tape

Translations

circonférence

Umfang

cincha

circunferência

cinturón

circonferenza

omvang

sangle

Gurt

fascia

omtrek

Sattelgurt

cinghia

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɡɜːθ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: girth

Cognate with Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌰

Cognate with Icelandic: gjörð

Cognate with German: Gurt

Cognate with English: gird

Cognate with Albanian: ngërthej

In summary

From Middle English girth, gerth, gyrth, from Old Norse gjǫrð, from Proto-Germanic *gerdō, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰerdʰ- (“to encircle, enclose; belt”). Cognate with Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌰 (gairda), Icelandic gjörð. Also related to German Gurt, English gird, Albanian ngërthej (“to tie, bind, fasten”).