[syn: girdle, gird]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Girdle \Gir"dle\, n.
A griddle. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Girdle \Gir"dle\, n. [OE. gurdel, girdel, AS. gyrdel, fr.
gyrdan; akin to D. gordel, G. g["u]rtel, Icel. gyr?ill. See
Gird, v. t., to encircle, and cf. Girth, n.]
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1. That which girds, encircles, or incloses; a circumference;
a belt; esp., a belt, sash, or article of dress encircling
the body usually at the waist; a cestus.
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Within the girdle of these walls. --Shak.
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Their breasts girded with golden girdles. --Rev. xv.
6.
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2. The zodiac; also, the equator. [Poetic] --Bacon.
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From the world's girdle to the frozen pole.
--Cowper.
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That gems the starry girdle of the year. --Campbell.
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3. (Jewelry) The line ofgreatest circumference of a
brilliant-cut diamond, at which it is grasped by the
setting. See Illust. of Brilliant. --Knight.
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4. (Mining) A thin bed or stratum of stone. --Raymond.
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5. (Zool.) The clitellus of an earthworm.
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Girdle bone (Anat.), the sphenethmoid. See under
Sphenethmoid.
Girdle wheel, a spinning wheel.
Sea girdle (Zool.), a ctenophore. See Venus's girdle,
under Venus.
Shoulder, Pectoral, & Pelvic, girdle. (Anat.) See
under Pectoral, and Pelvic.
To have under the girdle, to have bound to one, that is, in
subjection.
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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Girdle \Gir"dle\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Girdled; p. pr. & vb. n.
Girdling.]
1. To bind with a belt or sash; to gird. --Shak.
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2. To inclose; to environ; to shut in.
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Those sleeping stones,
That as a waist doth girdle you about. --Shak.
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3. To make a cut or gnaw a groove around (a tree, etc.)
through the bark and alburnum, thus killing it. [U. S.]
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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
girdle
n 1: an encircling or ringlike structure
2: a band of material around the waist that strengthens a skirt
or trousers [syn: girdle, cincture, sash, waistband,
waistcloth]
3: a woman's close-fitting foundation garment [syn: corset,
girdle, stays]
v 1: cut a girdle around so as to kill by interrupting the
circulation of water and nutrients; "girdle the plant"
[syn: girdle, deaden]
2: put a girdle on or around; "gird your loins" [syn: girdle,
gird]