Bands

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /bændz/

Definitions

1. A set of musical performers working together to create songs and live performances
2. a series of elastic or flexible loops used for restraint or support
3. distinct groups or collections of individuals or entities sharing a common feature or purpose

Etymology: The plural "bands" simply takes the sense of "band" in the sense of a strip or loop that binds, so the story here is that of the singular noun. "Band" goes back to Old English "bend," a word meaning a bond, chain, fetter, ribbon, or ornament, which came from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "band" or "fetter." That root traces further back to an Indo-European verb meaning "to tie or bind," which also gave English "bind," "bond," and "bend." The Old English word and its Dutch, German, and Scandinavian cousins all kept that core idea of something that holds things together. The Middle English "band" was partly reinforced by Old French "bande," which passed into English alongside the native word. Those French and Occitan forms carried a second meaning, "regiment of troops," which is how the same spelling came to name a company of soldiers and, eventually, a group of musicians. The ribbon-like sense that the plural "bands" retains is therefore the older of the two, and it preserves the original idea of a tie.

Synonyms: groups, troops, factions, associations, alliances

Antonyms: individuals, solos, loners, singles, separate