Gird

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɡɜːd/

Definitions

1. to form a belt-like binding around an object or to brace oneself for an imminent challenge or task
2. to tightly fasten a structure or to ready oneself for an impending endeavor or struggle
3. To surround or encircle something with a band or belt ; to mentally or physically ready oneself for a forthcoming challenge

Etymology: "Gird" began as a word for buckling on a belt. Old English "gyrdan" meant "to put a belt around, to put a girdle around," and it descended from a Proto-Germanic verb ""gurdijaną" meaning "to gird." Its closest relatives are still plain about the sense: Dutch "gorden," German "gürten," and Swedish "gjorda" all carry the idea of fastening something around the body. The noun "girdle," the belt itself, comes from the same root family, so the verb and the garment were built from one stem. Medieval English also kept a second, rougher verb, "girden," meaning "to strike." Its Old English ancestor, also written ""gyrdan," was a separate word that happened to share the same spelling and sound. Over time the two merged in English writing, so the modern verb carries traces of both a tight, belt-like wrapping and a sharp blow.

Synonyms: encircle, surround, bind, wrap, fasten

Antonyms: loosen, release, unbind, unfasten, detach