Begirds

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To completely surround or encircle something, as if forming a boundary or enclosure
2. Acts to enclose or go all around an object or area on every side
3. Envelops fully by forming a circle or ring around a person or thing

Etymology: "Begirds" is the third-person singular present form of "begird," meaning to surround or encircle something completely. The verb descends from Old English "begyrdan," which combined the prefix "be-" with "gyrdan," meaning to gird, that is, to bind something around with a belt or band. The prefix "be-" here intensifies the sense of encircling, so the root idea is of something wrapped all the way around. The same pairing appears across the Germanic languages. Old High German had "begurtjan," and the ancient Gothic language had "bigairdan," both meaning to begird. Their shared ancestor, a Proto-Germanic verb for girding with a band, shows that the image of a belt wrapped around a body or a structure is very old in these languages.

Synonyms: encircles, binds, wraps, encloses, sashes

Antonyms: unbinds, releases