cincture

[ singk-cher ]

noun

1. a belt or girdle.
2. something that surrounds or encompasses as a girdle does; a surrounding border:

   The midnight sky had a cincture of stars.

3. (on a classical column) a fillet at either end of a shaft, especially one at the lower end. Compare orle ( def 3b ).
4. the act of girding or encompassing.

verb (used with object)

, cinc·tured, cinc·tur·ing.

1. to gird with or as if with a cincture; encircle; encompass.

cincture

/ ˈsɪŋktʃə /

noun

1. something that encircles or surrounds, esp a belt, girdle, or border

Other Words From

• un·cinctured adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cincture¹

< Latin cinctūra, equivalent to cinct ( us ) ( cinc-, variant stem of cingere to gird, cinch ¹ + -tus past participle suffix) + -ūra -ure

Word History and Origins

Origin of cincture¹

C16: from Latin cinctūra, from cingere to gird

Example Sentences

It stands in marked contrast with the of the valiant Lycians, whose short and spare tunic required no cincture to confine it.

From Project Gutenberg

He stood unarmed, except for the knife and war-axe swinging from crimson-beaded sheaths at his cincture.

From Project Gutenberg

Their only covering was a cincture or apron of green leaves; they were gaily painted, some one colour and some another.

From Project Gutenberg

He knotted the cincture around his middle and thrust his hands into the pockets, turning to me for approval.

From Project Gutenberg

The shore line drew a cincture of pines across the broad base, where it faded unreal into the mist.

From Project Gutenberg