bandage

American  

[ban-dij] / ˈbæn dɪdʒ /

noun

1. a strip of cloth or other material used to bind up a wound, sore, sprain, etc.

   Synonyms:

   compass, binding, dressing

2. anything used as a band or ligature.

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verb (used with object)

bandaged, bandaging

1. to bind or cover with a bandage.

   to bandage the ankles of a football player to prevent sprains.

verb (used without object)

bandaged, bandaging

1. to put a bandage on a wound, sprain, etc..

   Apply some iodine before you bandage.

bandage British  

/ ˈbændɪdʒ /

noun

1. a piece of material used to dress a wound, bind a broken limb, etc

2. a strip of any soft material used for binding, etc

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verb

1. to cover or bind with a bandage

Other Word Forms

• bandager noun
• rebandage verb (used with object)
• unbandage verb (used with object)
• well-bandaged adjective

Etymology

Origin of bandage

From Middle French, dating back to 1590–1600; band ², -age

Example Sentences

The 34-year-old all-rounder posted a picture on Instagram last week showing his eye heavily swollen and bruised, a graze on his cheek and lip, and a bandage stuffed in his nose.

From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026

But any payment is only a bandage for a deeply rigged market.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 23, 2025

“By the time it was finished, there wasn’t one bandage left in either of the clubs,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025

Ramsay shared two photos, one of a bandage stretching from his cheek to his neck.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 31, 2025

As he approached, she held up her arm and pointed to the haphazard bandage.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

Related Words

• dressing
• gauze
• plaster