Join free

band

English · Français · Deutsch · Italiano · 中文 · Română · Thesaurus

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

band¹

  • /bænd/ Canada, US, UK
  • [beənd] ~ [bɛənd]
  • /band/ British, Northern England, Scotland
  • /bæːnd/ Australia
  • [beːnd] ~ [bɛeːnd]
  • /bɛnd/ New Zealand

Sounds like banned · Rhymes with -ænd

Where it comes from

Inherited from Middle English band (also bond), from Old English beand, bænd, bend (“bond, chain, fetter, band, ribbon, ornament, chaplet, crown”), from Proto-Germanic *bandą, *bandiz (“band, fetter”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to tie, bind”). Middle English band reinforced by Old French bande.

Cognate with Dutch band, German Band, Danish bånd, Swedish band, Icelandic band (“band”). Related to bond, bind, bend.

noun bands

  1. A strip of material wrapped around things to hold them together. The Jones man was looking at her hard. Now he reached into the hatch of his vest and fetched out a couple of cigars, everlasting big ones, with gilt bands on them.
  2. A narrow strip of cloth or other material on clothing, to bind, strengthen, or ornament it. band and gusset and seam
  3. A strip along the spine of a book where the pages are attached.
  4. A belt or strap that is part of a machine.
  5. A long strip of material, color, etc, that is different from the surrounding area. sandstone with bands of shale
  6. A continuous tablet, stripe, or series of ornaments, as of carved foliage, of colour, or of brickwork.
  7. In Gothic architecture, the moulding, or suite of mouldings, which encircles the pillars and small shafts.
  8. That which serves as the means of union or connection between persons; a tie. For that heroic band—those children of the furnace who, in regions like Texas and Tennessee, maintained their fidelity through terrible trials—we of the North felt for them, and profoundly we honor them.
  9. A linen collar or ruff worn in the 16th and 17th centuries.
  10. in plural Two strips of linen hanging from the neck in front as part of a clerical, legal, or academic dress.
  11. A part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
  12. A designated range of radio frequencies used for wireless communication.

    Similar: frequency band, radio band

  13. A group of energy levels in a solid state material. valence band;  conduction band
  14. obsolete A bond. OLd Iohn of Gaunt, time-honoured Lancaſter, Haſt thou according to thy oath and band Brought hither Henry Herford thy bold ſon: Heere to make good yͤ boiſtrous late appeale, Which then our leyſure would not let vs heare, Againſt the Duke of Norfolke, Thomas Mowbray?
  15. obsolete Pledge; security. He sent to her his basenet as a faithfull band.
  16. US, especially A ring, such as a wedding ring (wedding band), or a ring put on a bird's leg to identify it.
  17. Any distinguishing line formed by chromatography, electrophoresis etc
  18. abbreviation, ellipsis Ellipsis of band cell
  19. in plural, often, slang A wad of money totaling $1K, held together by a band; (by extension) $1000, a grand; (by extension) money She my trap queen, let her hit the bando / We be countin' up, watch how far them bands go

verb bands · banding · banded

  1. transitive To fasten with a band. As he spake, his eyes rested on the graves below. "Yes," muttered the youth, "they are sufficient answer; they are indeed the end of all human hope." Mechanically he turned from one to another. Some were recently banded down with osiers, and the grass was varied with primrose roots; on some the foxg
  2. transitive To fasten an identifying band around the leg of (a bird).

band²

  • /bænd/ Canada, US, UK
  • [beənd] ~ [bɛənd]
  • /band/ British, Northern England, Scotland
  • /bæːnd/ Australia
  • [beːnd] ~ [bɛeːnd]
  • /bɛnd/ New Zealand

Sounds like banned · Rhymes with -ænd

Where it comes from

Derived from Middle English band, from Old French bande, from Old Occitan banda (“regiment of troops”), perhaps from Frankish *bend, from Proto-Germanic *bandiz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to tie; bond, band”). Compare German Bande (“band”).

noun bands

  1. A group of musicians who perform together as an ensemble; sometimes, such a group working for a professional recording artist. musical band
  2. A type of orchestra originally playing janissary music; an instance of this type.
  3. abbreviation, ellipsis Ellipsis of marching band
  4. A group of people loosely united for a common purpose, such as a band of thieves. But in the mean time Robin Hood and his band lived quietly in Sherwood Forest, without showing their faces abroad, for Robin knew that it would not be wise for him to be seen in the neighborhood of Nottingham, those in authority being very wroth with him.
  5. A small group of people living in a simple society, contrasted with tribes, chiefdoms, and nations.
  6. Canada, abbreviation, ellipsis Ellipsis of band government

verb bands · banding · banded

  1. intransitive To group together for a common purpose; to confederate. And when it was day, certaine of the Iewes banded together, […]
  2. transitive To group (students) together by perceived ability; to stream.

band³

  • /bænd/ Canada, US, UK
  • [beənd] ~ [bɛənd]
  • /band/ British, Northern England, Scotland
  • /bæːnd/ Australia
  • [beːnd] ~ [bɛeːnd]
  • /bɛnd/ New Zealand

Sounds like banned · Rhymes with -ænd

Where it comes from

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

verb

  1. obsolete, participle, past simple past and past participle of bind

band⁴

  • /bænd/ Canada, US, UK
  • [beənd] ~ [bɛənd]
  • /band/ British, Northern England, Scotland
  • /bæːnd/ Australia
  • [beːnd] ~ [bɛeːnd]
  • /bɛnd/ New Zealand

Sounds like banned · Rhymes with -ænd

verb bands · banding · banded

  1. obsolete Obsolete form of bandy

Band⁵

Rhymes with -ænd

Where it comes from

* English, German and Jewish surname, from the noun Band (“hoop, metal ring”).

* Also as an English surname, variant of Bond.

* Also as a German surname, pet from of Bernhard.

* As a Dutch surname, from the place name (die) Bant.

proper noun Bands

  1. A surname from German.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: ring, stripe, stria, set, striation, lot, dance band, circle, dance orchestra, frequency band, bracelet, strap, belt, tie, ferrule, clamp

Translations

Every language

noun part of radio spectrum

Españolbanda
한국어밴드 baendeu, 대역폭 daeyeokpok
中文波段 bōduàn
Kiswahilibendi
Portuguêsbanda
DeutschFrequenzspektrum
Ελληνικάζώνη zóni
Românăbandă
Русскийполоса́ polosá, диапазо́н diapazón
Tiếng Việtbăng, dải

noun strip of material wrapped around things to hold them together

Españolcinta, franja, banda
한국어줄무늬 julmunui, 끈 kkeun, 밴드 baendeu
日本語条片 jōhen, ストリップ sutorippu, ストラップ sutorappu, バンド bando
中文帶 /带 dài, 帶子 /带子 dàizi
Kiswahilibendi
Portuguêsbanda, cinta, faixa
DeutschBand
Italianofascia
Ελληνικάιμάντας imántas, ταινία tainía
Românăfașă
Русскийле́нта lénta, тесьма́ tesʹmá, повя́зка povjázka, о́бод óbod, о́бруч óbruč, поло́ска polóska
Tiếng Việtbăng
עבריתסֶרֶט séret

noun narrow strip of cloth or other material on clothing, to bind, strengthen, or ornament it

Españolbanda

noun strip along the spine of a book where the pages are attached

한국어책의 고정축 chaegui gojeongchuk, 지탱축 jitaengchuk
Kiswahilibendi
Ελληνικάράχη ráchi
Русскийманже́тка manžétka
Tiếng Việtdải

noun band or strip as part of a machine

Españolbanda
Русскийле́нта lénta, реме́нь reménʹ
Tiếng Việtbăng

noun group of energy levels in a solid state material

Kiswahilibendi
Русскийзона zona
Tiếng Việtbăng, dải, bó

verb fasten with a band

Kiswahilibendi
Deutschbinden
Tiếng Việtbuộc dải, buộc băng, đóng đai

verb ornithology: fasten an identifying band around the leg of

Kiswahilibendi
Françaisbaguer
Deutschberingen

noun Canada: recognized group of aboriginals

Kiswahilibendi
Françaisbande

noun group of musicians

Españolbanda, grupo
한국어밴드 baendeu, 그룹 geurup, 악단 akdan
日本語楽団 gakudan, バンド bando
中文樂隊 /乐队 yuèduì
हिन्दीबैंड baiṇḍ
Kiswahilibendi
Portuguêsbanda, grupo
Françaisgroupe
DeutschBand, Kapelle, Musikkapelle, Combo, Musikbande
Italianogruppo
Ελληνικάσυγκρότημα sygkrótima, ορχήστρα orchístra
Românăformație, trupă
Русскийорке́стр orkéstr, анса́мбль ansámblʹ, гру́ппа grúppa, бэнд bɛnd, ба́нда bánda
Tiếng Việtban nhạc, nhóm nhạc
العربيةفِرْقَة firqa
עבריתלַהֲקָה lahaká

noun orchestra originally playing janissary music

Kiswahilibendi
DeutschBlaskapelle, Marschkapelle
Tiếng Việtdàn nhạc

noun group of people loosely united for a common purpose

Españolbanda
한국어단체 danche, 그룹 geurup
中文黨 /党 dǎng
Kiswahilibendi
Portuguêsbando, grupo
DeutschBande, Gruppe, Stamm, Trupp, Gemeinde, Mannschaft
Ελληνικάομάδα omáda, όμιλος ómilos
Românăbandă
Русскийотря́д otrjád, ба́нда bánda, ша́йка šájka
Tiếng Việtbọn, đoàn, lũ, toán, bầy, tụi
العربيةفِرْقَة firqa
עבריתכְּנוּפִיָה k'nufya

noun anthropology: small group of people living in a simple society

Kiswahilibendi
Françaisbande

verb (intransitive) group together for a common purpose

Kiswahilibendi
Deutschsich vereinigen, verbinden

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"band." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/band. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

band. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/band

Chicago

"band." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/band.

BibTeX
@misc{band_2026,
  title = {band},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/band},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}