girdle
[ gur-dl ]
/ ˈgɜr dl /
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noun
verb (used with object), gir·dled, gir·dling.
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Origin of girdle
OTHER WORDS FROM girdle
gir·dle·like, adjectivegir·dling·ly, adverbun·gir·dle, verb (used with object), un·gir·dled, un·gir·dling.Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use girdle in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for girdle (1 of 2)
girdle1
/ (ˈɡɜːdəl) /
noun
verb (tr)
Derived forms of girdle
girdle-like, adjectiveWord Origin for girdle
Old English gyrdel, of Germanic origin; related to Old Norse gyrthill, Old Frisian gerdel, Old High German gurtila; see gird 1
British Dictionary definitions for girdle (2 of 2)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Scientific definitions for girdle
girdle
[ gûr′dl ]
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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