GIRDLE

n. & v. --n. 1 a belt or cord worn round the waist. 2 a woman's corset extending from waist to thigh. 3 a thing that surrounds like a girdle. 4 the bony support for a limb (pelvic girdle). 5 the part of a cut gem dividing the crown from the base and embraced by the setting. 6 a ring round a tree made by the removal of bark. --v.tr. 1 surround with a girdle. 2 remove a ring of bark from (a tree), esp. to make it more fruitful. [OE gyrdel: see GIRD(1)]