/ ˈgɜːdl; NAmE ˈgɜːrdl/ noun , verb
■ noun
1.
a piece of women's underwear that fits closely around the body from the waist to the top of the legs, designed to make a woman look thinner
2.
( literary ) a thing that surrounds sth else :
carefully tended lawns set in a girdle of trees
3.
( old-fashioned ) a belt or thick string fastened around the waist to keep clothes in position
■ verb
[ vn ] ( literary ) to surround sth :
A chain of volcanoes girdles the Pacific.
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English gyrdel , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch gordel and German Gürtel , also to gird and girth .