Main Entry:

¹band

Pronunciation:

\ˈband\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

in senses 1 & 2, from Middle English band, bond something that constricts, from Old Norse band; akin to Old English bindan to bind; in other senses, from Middle English bande strip, from Middle French, from Vulgar Latin *binda, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German binta fillet; akin to Old English bindan to bind, bend fetter — more at bind

Date:

12th century

1: something that confines or constricts while allowing a degree of movement2: something that binds or restrains legally, morally, or spiritually3: a strip serving to join or hold things together: as a: belt 2 b: a cord or strip across the back of a book to which the sections are sewn 4: a thin flat encircling strip: as a: a close-fitting strip that confines material at the waist, neck, or cuff of clothing b: a strip of cloth used to protect a newborn baby's navel —called also bellyband c: a ring of elastic 5 a: a strip (as of living tissue or rock) or a stripe (as on an animal) differentiable (as by color, texture, or structure) from the adjacent material or area b: a more or less well-defined range of wavelengths, frequencies, or energies c: range 7a6: a narrow strip serving chiefly as decoration: as a: a narrow strip of material applied as trimming to an article of dress bplural : a pair of strips hanging at the front of the neck as part of a clerical, legal, or academic dress c: a ring without raised portions 7: track 1e(2)