girdle

American  

[gur-dl] / ˈgɜr dl /

noun

1. a lightweight undergarment, worn especially by women, often partly or entirely of elastic or boned, for supporting and giving a slimmer appearance to the abdomen, hips, and buttocks.

2. a belt, cord, sash, or the like, worn about the waist.

3. anything that encircles, confines, or limits.

   Synonyms:

   hedge, band, ring, circle, belt

4. Jewelry. the edge or narrow band between the upper and lower facets of a gem.

5. Anatomy. the bony framework that unites the upper or lower extremities to the axial skeleton.

6. Architecture. an ornamental band, especially one surrounding the shaft of a column.

7. a ring made about a tree trunk, branch, etc., by removing a band of bark.

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verb (used with object)

girdled, girdling

1. to encircle with a belt; gird.

2. to encompass; enclose; encircle.

3. to move around (something or someone) in a circle.

4. to cut away the bark and cambium in a ring around (a tree, branch, etc.).

5. Jewelry. round.

girdle ¹ British  

/ ˈɡɜːdəl /

noun

1. dialect another word for griddle

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girdle ² British  

/ ˈɡɜːdəl /

noun

1. a woman's elastic corset covering the waist to the thigh

2. anything that surrounds or encircles

3. a belt or sash

4. jewellery the outer edge of a gem

5. anatomy any encircling structure or part See pectoral girdle pelvic girdle

6. the mark left on a tree trunk after the removal of a ring of bark

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verb

1. to put a girdle on or around

2. to surround or encircle

3. to remove a ring of bark from (a tree or branch), thus causing it to die

girdle Scientific  

/ gûr′dl /

1. To kill a tree or woody shrub by removing or destroying a band of bark and cambium from its circumference. The plants die because the distribution of food down from the leaves (through the phloem) and sometimes the flow of water and nutrients up from the roots (through the xylem) is disrupted, and the cambium can no longer regenerate these vascular tissues to repair the damage. Unwanted trees, such as invasive or nonnative species, are often eliminated by girdling. Some plant diseases kill trees by destroying a ring of cambium and so girdling them. Gnawing animals, especially rodents, can also girdle trees.

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Other Word Forms

• girdle-like adjective
• girdlelike adjective
• girdlingly adverb
• ungirdle verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of girdle

before 1000; Middle English; Old English gyrdel, derivative of girdan to gird ¹

Example Sentences

The team found a partial skeleton encased in rock that included portions of the lower jaw, vertebrae, and pelvic girdle.

From Science Daily • Nov. 12, 2025

If allowed to grow up the trunk of a tree, it can eventually girdle or smother and kill it.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 3, 2024

At first, the pectoral girdle enabled gill-lifting muscles to better open the mouth, leading to the evolution of diverse fish feeding systems, Brazeau says.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 1, 2023

Powerful magnetic and electric fields flowing from and through the tokamak will girdle and heat the plasma cloud so that the atoms inside will collide and fuse together, releasing immense amounts of energy.

From Scientific American • Jun. 15, 2023

I didn’t believe her, since I was fairly sure her mother’s jewelry was still sewn into her girdle.

From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron

Related Words

• waistband