girdle

noun

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gir·dle | \ ˈgər-dᵊl

Definition of girdle

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : something that encircles or confines: such as

a : an article of dress encircling the body usually at the waist

b : a woman's close-fitting undergarment often boned and usually elasticized that extends from the waist to below the hips

c(1) : shoulder girdle

(2) : pelvic girdle

2 : the edge of a brilliant that is grasped by the setting — see brilliant illustration

girdle

verb

girdled; girdling\ ˈgər-dᵊl-iŋ

Definition of girdle (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to encircle with or as if with a girdle

2 : to cut away the bark and cambium in a ring around (a plant) usually to kill by interrupting the circulation of water and nutrients

3 : to move around : circle girdled the world

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing girdle Learn More About girdle

Synonyms & Antonyms for girdle

Synonyms: Noun

Synonyms: Verb

Antonyms: Verb

Examples of girdle in a Sentence

Noun drew a handkerchief from the girdle around her waist and offered it to the knight as a token of affection Verb the rings that girdle the planet Saturn trees girdled the campus, essentially hiding it from view

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun And unlike a bezel setting, where a diamond is set into a bed of metal that circles the diamond at the girdle, the bottom of a Floeting setting is open on four sides to allow light to enter. — Carol Besler, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2021 Some 30 amulets and a unique gold girdle were found within the wrappings. — Katie Hunt, CNN, 28 Dec. 2021 Like an invisible setting, grooves are laser cut into the diamond just below the girdle. — Carol Besler, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2021 As Camelot crumbles around him, Gawain pulls off the magical girdle that has kept him safe from harm — and his head rolls clean off. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2021 The girdle — a gift from his mother, the sorceress Morgan Le Fay (Sarita Choudhury) — is emblematic of his cheat-code approach toward honor. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2021 Next came all the period-correct garments, complete with girdle. — Lisa Rosen, Los Angeles Times, 22 June 2021 The wire mesh excludes snowshoe hares, which sometimes clip seedlings at the stem or girdle young trees, especially at the peak of hares’ 11-year cycles. — Ned Rozell, Anchorage Daily News, 19 June 2021 Venus’s girdle, a species of comb jelly, or ctenophore. — Leslie Nemo, Scientific American, 8 June 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Roots growing in that way strangle, or girdle, the tree. — Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 5 Apr. 2022 So when the developer of Oakland’s newest waterfront park wants to girdle it with 10 acres of private boat slips, the only polite response is — not so fast. — John King, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Oct. 2021 The spots rapidly enlarge to form purplish black lesions, which girdle the stems and leaves, killing the foliage. — oregonlive, 11 Aug. 2021 The spots rapidly enlarge to form purplish black lesions, which girdle the stems and leaves, killing the foliage. — oregonlive, 11 Aug. 2021 The spots rapidly enlarge to form purplish black lesions, which girdle the stems and leaves, killing the foliage. — oregonlive, 11 Aug. 2021 The spots rapidly enlarge to form purplish black lesions, which girdle the stems and leaves, killing the foliage. — oregonlive, 11 Aug. 2021 The spots rapidly enlarge to form purplish black lesions, which girdle the stems and leaves, killing the foliage. — oregonlive, 11 Aug. 2021 The spots rapidly enlarge to form purplish black lesions, which girdle the stems and leaves, killing the foliage. — oregonlive, 11 Aug. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'girdle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for girdle

Noun

Middle English girdel, gurdel "belt, baldric," going back to Old English gyrdel "belt, part of the body encircled by a belt," going back to Germanic *gurđila- (whence also Old Frisian gerdel "belt, girdle," Old High German gurtil, Old Norse gyrðill), instrumental derivative from *gurđjan- "to encircle with a belt" — more at gird entry 1

Verb

derivative of girdle entry 1

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Dictionary Entries Near girdle

girder rail

girdle

girdle band

Statistics for girdle

Cite this Entry

“Girdle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/girdle. Accessed 21 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for girdle

girdle

noun

gir·dle | \ ˈgər-dᵊl

Kids Definition of girdle

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : something (as a belt or sash) that encircles or binds

2 : a tight undergarment worn below the waist by women

girdle

verb

girdled; girdling

Kids Definition of girdle (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to bind with or as if with a girdle, belt, or sash : encircle

2 : to strip a ring of bark from a tree trunk

girdle

noun

gir·dle | \ ˈgərd-ᵊ1

Medical Definition of girdle

: either of two more or less complete bony rings at the anterior and posterior ends of the vertebrate trunk supporting the arms and legs respectively:

a : shoulder girdle

b : pelvic girdle