girdler

American  

[gurd-ler] / ˈgɜrd lər /

noun

1. a person or thing that girdles.

2. any of several insects, as a beetle, Oncideres cingulata twig girdler, that cut a groove around the bark of a twig, stem, etc.

3. a person who makes girdles.

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girdler British  

/ ˈɡɜːdlə /

noun

1. a person or thing that girdles

2. a maker of girdles

3. any insect, such as the twig girdler, that bores circular grooves around the stems or twigs in which it lays its eggs

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Etymology

Origin of girdler

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; girdle, -er ¹

Example Sentences

With huge infusions of cash, he built it from a small southwestern carrier into a globe girdler.

From Time Magazine Archive

And straightway she prayed, and that instantly, to the lord Poseidon: 'Hear me, Poseidon, girdler of the earth, and grudge not the fulfilment of this labour in answer to our prayer.

From The Odyssey Done into English prose by Lang, Andrew

On the afternoon in question, Mr Altham stepped out of his door to speak with his neighbour the girdler, and no sooner was he well out of the way than another person walked into it.

From The White Lady of Hazelwood A Tale of the Fourteenth Century by Rainey, W. (William)

The tree has been crippled by the twig girdler this year.

From Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Fifteenth Annual Meeting New York City, September 3, 4 and 5, 1924 by Northern Nut Growers Association

This slide shows one of the pests in the pecan orchard, the twig girdler, at work.

From Northern Nut Growers Association, Report of the Proceedings at the Third Annual Meeting Lancaster, Pennsylvania, December 18 and 19, 1912 by Northern Nut Growers Association