/ bænd; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
GROUP OF MUSICIANS
1.
[ C +sing./pl. v . ] a small group of musicians who play popular music together, often with a singer or singers :
a rock / jazz band
She's a singer with a band.
—see also boy band , girl band
2.
[ C +sing./pl. v . ] a group of musicians who play brass and percussion instruments :
a military band
—see also brass band , marching band , one-man band
GROUP OF PEOPLE
3.
[ C +sing./pl. v . ] a group of people who do sth together or who have the same ideas :
a band of outlaws
He persuaded a small band of volunteers to help.
STRIP OF MATERIAL / COLOUR
4.
[ C ] a thin flat strip or circle of any material that is put around things, for example to hold them together or to make them stronger :
She always ties her hair back in a band.
All babies in the hospital have name bands on their wrists.
She wore a simple band of gold on her finger.
—picture at boater
—see also armband , hairband , hatband , rubber band , sweatband , waistband
5.
[ C ] a strip of colour or material on sth that is different from what is around it :
a white plate with a blue band around the edge
OF RADIO WAVES
6.
(also wave·band ) [ C ] a range of radio waves :
Short-wave radio uses the 20-50 metre band.
RANGE
7.
[ C ] a range of numbers, ages, prices, etc. within which people or things are counted or measured :
the 25-35 age band
tax bands
■ verb
[ vn ] [ usually passive ]
WITH COLOUR / MATERIAL
1.
to put a band of a different colour or material around sth :
[ vn - adj ]
Many insects are banded black and yellow.
[also vn ]
PUT INTO RANGE
2.
( BrE ) to be organized into bands of price, income, etc. :
Tax is banded according to income.
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PHRASAL VERBS
- band together
••
WORD ORIGIN
noun senses 4 to 7 verb late Old English (in the sense of something that restrains), from Old Norse , reinforced in late Middle English by Old French bande , of Germanic origin; related to bind .
noun senses 1 to 3 late Middle English : from Old French bande , of Germanic origin; related to banner .