Category:Girdle

Gir"dle, n.

Defn: A griddle. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]

girdle Gir"dle, n. Etym: [OE. gurdel, girdel, AS. gyrdel, fr. gyrdan; akin to D. gordel, G. gürtel, Icel. gyr. See Gird, v. t., to encircle, and cf. Girth, n.]

1. That which girds, encircles, or encloses; a circumference; a belt; esp., a belt, sash, or article of dress encircling the body usually at the waist; a cestus. Within the girdle of these walls. Shak. The seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed with clean and white linen and girt about the breasts with golden girdles. Revelation 15:6.

2. The zodiac; also, the equator. [Poetic] Bacon. From the world's girdle to the frozen pole. Cowper. That gems the starry girdle of the year. Campbell.

3. (Jewelry)

Defn: The line of greatest circumference of a brilliant-cut diamond, at which it is grasped by the setting. See Illust. of Brilliant. Knight.

4. (Mining)

Defn: A thin bed or stratum of stone. Raymond.

5. (Zoöl.)

Defn: The clitellus of an earthworm. Girdle bone (Anat.), the sphenethmoid. See under Sphenethmoid. -- Girdle wheel, a spinning wheel. -- Sea girdle (Zoöl.), a ctenophore. See Venus's girdle, under Venus. -- Shoulder, Pectoral, and Pelvic, girdle. (Anat.) See under Pectoral, and Pelvic. -- To have under the girdle, to have bound to one, that is, in subjection.

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.

2. To enclose; to environ; to shut in. Those sleeping stones, That as a waist doth girdle you about. Shak.

3. To make a cut or gnaw a groove around (a tree, etc.) through the bark and alburnum, thus killing it. [U. S.]

- ---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary.

Girdle - (1.) Heb. hagor, a girdle of any kind worn by soldiers (1 Samuel 18:4; 2 Samuel 20:8; 1 Kings 2:5; 2 Kings 3:21) or women (Isaiah 3:24). (2.) Heb. 'ezor, something "bound," worn by prophets (2 Kings 1:8; Jeremiah 13:1), soldiers (Isaiah 5:27; 2 Samuel 20:8; Ezekiel 23:15), Kings (Job 12:18). (3.) Heb. mezah, a "band," a girdle worn by men alone (Psalms 109:19; Isaiah 22:21). (4.) Heb. 'abnet, the girdle of sacerdotal and state officers (Exodus 28:4 , Exodus 28:39, Exodus 28:40; Exodus 29:9; Exodus 39:29). (5.) Heb. hesheb, the "curious girdle" (Exodus 28:8; R.V., "cunningly woven band") was attached to the ephod, and was made of the same material. The common girdle was made of leather (2 Kings 1:8; Matthew 3:4); a finer sort of linen (Jeremiah 13:1; Ezekiel 16:10; Daniel 10:5). Girdles of sackcloth were worn in token of sorrow (Isaiah 3:24; Isaiah 22:12). They were variously fastened to the wearer (Mark 1:6; Jeremiah 13:1; Ezekiel 16:10). The girdle was a symbol of strength and power (Job 12:18, Job 12:21; Job 30:11; Isaiah 22:21; Isaiah 45:5). "Righteousness and faithfulness" are the girdle of the Messiah (Isaiah 11:5). Girdles were used as purses or pockets (Matthew 10:9. A. V., "purses;" R.V., marg., "girdles." Also Mark 6:8). Exodus 32:19