girdle
gb/ɡˈɚdəl/ us/ɡˈɚdəl/
B2
English
~ 8000
alakformáló alsónemű, fűző, tartóöv, öv, deréköv, végtagöv, függesztőöv, körülvesz, övez, meggyűrűz, gyűrű, rondiszt
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] wears a girdle
After her surgery, the doctor recommended a support girdle for her lower back.
A műtétje után az orvos tartóövet javasolt neki a dereka megtámasztására.
She wore a girdle under the dress to smooth her waistline.
Alakformáló alsóneműt viselt a ruha alatt, hogy kisimítsa a dereka vonalát.
Vintage ads often showed women in tight girdles promising a smaller figure.
Learner examples
She wears a girdle under her dress.
Alakformáló alsóneműt visel a ruhája alatt.
The girdle makes her waist look smaller.
Az alakformáló alsóneműtől kisebbnek látszik a dereka.
The doctor gave him a girdle to help his back.
This old photo shows a woman in a white girdle.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "girdle" with "gird" (a verb meaning to prepare or to surround). "Girdle" in this sense is a thing (noun), not an action. Learners may also call all tight underwear a "corset"; in modern English, "shapewear" is often more common than "girdle" in everyday speech.
Meaning
tight undergarment for waist/hips
Collocations
wear a girdle
|tight girdle
|elastic girdle
|support girdle
|post-surgery girdle
Synonyms
corset (Often stiffer and more structured, and strongly linked to historical fashion.)
|
shapewear (Modern general term for tight underwear that shapes the body; not always limited to the waist and hips.)
Themes
clothing
|body
|daily life
Definition
A special piece of underwear that fits tightly around the waist and hips to make the body look smoother or to give support.
A tight undergarment worn around the waist and hips to shape, smooth, or support the body.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] ties a girdle around [their] waist
The monk’s brown robe was held in place by a simple rope girdle.
A szerzetes barna csuháját egyszerű kötélöv fogta össze.
In the painting, the queen wears a jeweled girdle over her gown.
A festményen a királynő ékköves övet visel a ruháján.
He untied the silk girdle and let the robe fall open.
Learner examples
The monk wore a rope girdle around his robe.
A szerzetes kötélövet viselt a csuháján.
She tied a red girdle around her long dress.
Piros övet kötött a hosszú ruhája köré.
The king’s girdle was made of gold.
He loosened his girdle after the big meal.
Common mistake:
Learners may assume this word is common in modern clothing shops. In everyday speech people usually say "belt" or sometimes "sash"; "girdle" with this meaning is mostly found in older texts, fantasy stories, or religious descriptions.
Meaning
belt- or sash-like waist band
Collocations
silk girdle
|rope girdle
|golden girdle
|tie a girdle
|loosen the girdle
Synonyms
belt (Most common everyday word; can be purely practical, not only decorative.)
|
sash (Usually a wide, soft band of cloth, often decorative or ceremonial.)
Themes
clothing
|literature
|daily_life
Definition
A band of cloth, rope, or leather worn around the waist, like a belt, often on a robe or long dress.
A belt-like band of cloth, rope, or leather worn around the waist, especially on a robe or long garment, often for decoration or fastening.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
3
végtagöv
C1
függesztőöv
C2
Usage pattern:
the [type] girdle supports [a limb]
Injuries to the pelvic girdle can make walking extremely painful.
A medenceöv sérülései rendkívül fájdalmassá tehetik a járást.
The pectoral girdle connects the upper limbs to the axial skeleton.
A vállöv a felső végtagokat a tengelyvázhoz kapcsolja.
Students must be able to label all the bones of the shoulder girdle on the exam.
Learner examples
The pelvic girdle supports the legs.
A medenceöv megtámasztja a lábakat.
The pectoral girdle helps you move your arms.
A vállöv segít a karok mozgatásában.
He broke a bone in his pelvic girdle.
We drew the shoulder girdle in biology class.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this anatomical use of "girdle" with the clothing meaning. In medical or biology texts, "girdle" almost always refers to bones, not underwear.
Meaning
ring-like set of supporting bones
Collocations
pelvic girdle
|pectoral girdle
|shoulder girdle
|weak pelvic girdle
|structure of the pelvic girdle
Synonyms
shoulder girdle (Common term for the pectoral girdle; names one specific type rather than the general concept.)
|
pelvic ring (Informal anatomical phrase focusing on the ring shape of the pelvic girdle.)
Themes
medicine
|biology
|body
|science
Definition
In the body, a group of bones that makes a kind of ring and holds the arms or legs, like the pelvic girdle or pectoral girdle.
In anatomy, a ring-like set of bones that partially surrounds the body and provides support for the limbs, such as the pelvic girdle or pectoral girdle.
VERB
C1
LITERARY
4
Usage pattern:
to girdle [something]
Snow-capped mountains girdle the remote valley.
Hófedte hegyek veszik körül a távoli völgyet.
A high stone wall once girdled the ancient city.
Egy magas kőfal övezte valaha az ókori várost.
Dark clouds girdled the peak, hiding its summit from view.
Learner examples
Tall trees girdle the small lake.
Magas fák veszik körül a kis tavat.
High mountains girdle the town on all sides.
Magas hegyek veszik körül a várost minden oldalról.
A strong wall girdled the old castle.
Thick fog girdled the hill in the morning.
Common mistake:
Learners often try to use this like the more common verb "gird" or assume it is normal in everyday speech. In modern English, "girdle" as a verb is rare and sounds literary; "surround" or "encircle" are usually better choices.
Meaning
to surround in a ring-like band
Collocations
mountains girdle the city
|walls girdled the old town
|forests girdle the lake
|clouds girdled the peak
Synonyms
encircle (Neutral and more common modern verb; used in similar physical and figurative contexts.)
|
surround (Very common and general; does not always suggest a ring-like shape as strongly as "girdle".)
Antonyms
expose (If something is girdled it is not exposed at the edges; to expose removes surrounding cover.)
Themes
nature
|space
|literature
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To go all the way around something in a line or band, like a belt around a waist.
To surround something in a band or ring, often in a complete circle.
VERB
C1
TECHNICAL
5
meggyűrűz
C2
Usage pattern:
to girdle [a tree / trunk / branch]
Beavers often girdle young trees, causing large areas of forest to die back.
A hódok gyakran körberágják a fiatal fák kérgét, amitől nagy erdőterületek száradhatnak el.
Farmers sometimes girdle unwanted trees instead of cutting them down.
A gazdák néha meggyűrűzik a nem kívánt fákat ahelyett, hogy kivágnák őket.
If you girdle the trunk by mistake, the tree may not survive the season.
Learner examples
The farmer decided to girdle the old tree.
A gazda úgy döntött, hogy meggyűrűzi az öreg fát.
Beavers can girdle many trees near the river.
A hódok sok fa kérgét körberághatják a folyó közelében.
If you girdle the trunk, the tree will die.
They girdled some trees to clear more light for the crops.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this verb means simply "to cut" a tree. It specifically means cutting a complete ring through the bark all around the trunk or branch, which usually kills the tree.
Meaning
to cut a killing ring in bark
Collocations
girdle a tree
|deliberately girdled
|accidentally girdled
|girdled trunks
|girdle unwanted trees
Synonyms
ring-bark (Common forestry/gardening term with the same meaning; more familiar in some varieties of English, especially British.)
Themes
nature
|agriculture
|science
Definition
To cut the bark all the way around a tree so that it makes a ring and usually kills the tree.
To cut or remove a complete ring of bark from around the trunk or branch of a tree or plant, usually causing it to die.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
6
Usage pattern:
a girdle of [things] around [something]
A dark girdle of pines encircled the quiet lake.
Fenyők sötét gyűrűje ölelte körül a csendes tavat.
The city at night was marked by a bright girdle of lights along the ring road.
Éjszaka a várost a körgyűrű mentén húzódó fényes fényöv rajzolta ki.
Low hills formed a natural girdle around the valley.
Learner examples
A girdle of tall trees stood around the house.
Magas fák gyűrűje állt a ház körül.
The town had a girdle of green hills around it.
A várost zöld dombok gyűrűje vette körül.
Clouds made a white girdle around the mountain.
At night, a girdle of lights marked the highway around the city.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes read this sense in literature and think it refers to clothing. Here it means a ring of natural or man-made things that surrounds something, not underwear.
Meaning
ring-like band of surrounding things
Collocations
a girdle of mountains
|a girdle of trees
|a girdle of clouds
|a girdle of lights
Synonyms
ring (Very common and neutral; does not suggest the belt-like image as strongly as "girdle."},{)
Antonyms
gap (A gap is an empty space where a surrounding ring or girdle is broken or missing.)
Themes
nature
|literature
|space
Definition
A line or ring of things around something, like a circle of mountains or trees.
A band or ring of things that surrounds something, such as mountains, trees, clouds, or buildings.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
7
rondiszt
C2
Usage pattern:
the girdle of [a gemstone]
The diamond’s thick girdle made it look smaller than its carat weight suggested.
A gyémánt vastag rondisztja miatt kisebbnek látszott, mint amit a karátsúlya alapján várni lehetett volna.
A chipped girdle can significantly reduce a gemstone’s value.
A rondiszton lévő lepattanás jelentősen csökkentheti egy drágakő értékét.
The report noted that the stone had a faceted girdle and excellent symmetry.
Learner examples
The gem expert checked the girdle of the diamond.
A drágakőszakértő megvizsgálta a gyémánt rondisztját.
A broken girdle can lower the price of a stone.
Egy sérült rondiszt csökkentheti egy kő árát.
This stone has a very thick girdle.
The report says the girdle of the gem is polished.
Common mistake:
Learners may assume "girdle" in jewelry means a type of ring worn on the body. In gemology it refers to part of the stone itself, not jewelry you put on.
Meaning
outer band of a cut gemstone
Collocations
thick girdle
|polished girdle
|faceted girdle
|chipped girdle
|girdle thickness
Synonyms
edge (Very general word; in gemology "girdle" is the precise technical term for this edge.)
Themes
jewelry
|science
|arts_entertainment
|business
Definition
In a cut stone, the thin line around the widest part of the stone, between the top and the bottom.
In gemology, the narrow band around the widest part of a cut gemstone, separating the crown from the pavilion.
Grammar
Dictionary form
girdle
IPA
GB/ɡˈɚdəl/
US/ɡˈɚdəl/
Syllables & stress
girdle (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (girdle)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: girdle
- Plural: girdles
Verb
- Base: girdle
- 3rd Person Singular: girdles
- Present Participle: girdling
- Past: girdled
Word family
Forms
girdles
noun
girdling
verb
girdled
verb
Advanced or less common
gird
verb
Expressions
girdle a tree
1/ɡˈɚdəl ə tɹˈi/
fixed phrase
technical
cut bark ring around a tree
To cut the bark all the way around a tree so that it forms a ring, usually killing the tree.
Examples
- They decided to girdle a tree instead of cutting it down immediately.
- If you accidentally girdle a tree with a string or wire, it may die within a few years.
girdle the globe
1/ɡˈɚdəl ðə ɡlˈoʊb/
idiom
literary
go or extend around the world
To travel all the way around the world, or to spread or reach all around the world.
Examples
- Modern communication networks now girdle the globe.
- In his twenties he set out to girdle the globe by ship and train.
pectoral girdle
1/pˈɛktɚəl ɡˈɚdəl/
fixed phrase
technical
bones connecting shoulders and arms
The group of bones that holds the arms to the body, including the shoulder blades and collarbones.
Examples
- The pectoral girdle allows a wide range of motion in the shoulders.
- In anatomy class we compared the pectoral girdle in humans and birds.
- Injuries to the pectoral girdle can limit arm movement.
pelvic girdle
1/pˈɛlvɪk ɡˈɚdəl/
fixed phrase
technical
ring of hip bones
The group of bones at the bottom of the spine that forms the hips and holds the tops of the legs.
Examples
- Weakness in the pelvic girdle can cause lower back pain.
- Physical therapy can strengthen the muscles around the pelvic girdle.
- The X-ray shows a fracture in the pelvic girdle.
shoulder girdle
1/ʃˈoʊldɚ ɡˈɚdəl/
fixed phrase
technical
bony structure of the shoulders
The bones and joints around the shoulders that help support and move the arms.
Examples
- Poor posture can affect the alignment of the shoulder girdle.
- Exercises for the shoulder girdle are important for swimmers.
- The therapist checked the mobility of his shoulder girdle.