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gird

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gird¹

  • /ɡɜːd/ UK
  • /ɡɝd/ US

Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)d

Where it comes from

From Middle English girden, gerden, gürden, from Old English gyrdan (“to put a belt around, to put a girdle around”), from Proto-Germanic *gurdijaną (“to gird”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰerdʰ-. Cognate with West Frisian gurdzje, girdzje, Dutch gorden, German gürten, Swedish gjorda, Icelandic gyrða, Albanian ngërthej (“to tie together by weaving, to bind”).

verb girds · girding · girded · girt

  1. transitive To bind with a flexible rope or cord. The fasces were girt about with twine in bundles large.
  2. transitive To encircle with, or as if with a belt. a castle girded with a moat

    Similar: girdle

  3. reflexive, transitive To prepare (oneself) for an action. Associate your selues, O ye people, and yee shalbe broken in pieces; and giue eare all ye of farre countreys: gird your selues, and ye shalbe broken in pieces; gird your selues, and ye shalbe broken in pieces.
  4. intransitive (of a vessel towing another) To be pulled on sideways by its towline, putting it at risk of capsizing. On 19 July 2009, the tug North Arm Venture was towing the barge North Arm Express, loaded with fuel and deck cargo, from Toba Inlet to Sechelt Inlet. The tug girded and capsized at approximately 1250 Pacific Daylight Time while making a turn to port at the entrance to Sechelt Rapids .... Girding is

gird²

  • /ɡɜːd/ UK
  • /ɡɝd/ US

Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)d

Where it comes from

From Middle English girden (“to strike”), from Old English *gyrdan.

noun girds

  1. A sarcastic remark. I thank thee for that gird, good Tranio.
  2. A stroke with a rod or switch.
  3. A severe spasm; a twinge; a pang. Conscience […] is freed from many fearful girds and twinges which the atheist feels.

verb girds · girding · girded

  1. transitive To jeer at. Being moved, he will not spare to gird the gods.

    Similar: flout, jibe, fleer, gird, jeer, scoff, scorn

  2. intransitive To jeer. Men of all sorts take a pride to gird at me.

    Similar: scoff, scorn, gird, jeer, jibe, laugh at, sneer

Translations

Every language

verb to bind with a flexible rope or cord

Españolatar, ligar
Françaislier ceindre garrotter ligaturer
Deutschangurten, anbinden
Italianolegare allaciare
Русскийсвя́зывать svjázyvatʹ, связа́ть svjazátʹ

verb to encircle with, or as if with a belt

Españolceñir, rodear, cercar, encerrar
Deutschumringen
Italianocinturare, cingere circondare
Русскийподпоя́сывать podpojásyvatʹ, подпоя́сать podpojásatʹ, окружа́ть okružátʹ, огораживать ogoraživatʹ, окаймлять okajmljatʹ, охва́тывать oxvátyvatʹ

verb to prepare oneself

Españolaprestarse
Deutschrüsten

noun sarcastic remark

Русскийнасме́шка nasméška

verb To jeer at

Русскийнасмехаться nasmexatʹsja

verb To jeer

Русскийнасмехаться nasmexatʹsja

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Cite this
MLA

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

APA

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

Chicago

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

BibTeX
@misc{gird_2026,
  title = {gird},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/gird},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}