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garter

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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A bride putting on a garter.

Etymology

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From Middle English garter, from Old Northern French gartier, from Old French garet (compare Old French jartier, from jaret), from Gaulish *garrā, from Proto-Celtic *garros (“calf, shank”) (compare Cornish gar, Cornish gar,Middle Welsh garr, Old Irish gairr). Cognate with French jarretière.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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garter (plural garters)

  1. A band worn around the leg to hold up a sock or stocking.
  2. (heraldry) A bendlet.
    Coordinate terms: bendlet, cost, riband
  3. (Philippines) An elastic band encircling any article of clothing.
  4. (obsolete) One of a set of tapes stretched out horizontally for acrobats and equestrians to leap over as part of a circus act or display of skill.
    • 1842 November 11, The Hobart Town Advertiser, Tasmania, page 3, column 6:
      GRAND TRAMPOLINE, by Mr KING, (from Astley's Amphitheatre, London) who will introduce a great variety of leaps. Somerset 1 - Somerset in the Air - while in that position lie will fire two pistols. Somerset 2 - Over garters 12 feet high.
    • 1851 December 25, The Empire, Sydney, page 2, column 2:
      Mrs. Ashton will then make her entree in a beautiful act of equestrianism, entitled "The Mountain Maid," on a rapid courser, taking an aerial flight through hoops, and over garters, &c.
    • 1864 December 12, The South Australian Register, Adelaide, page 1, column 5:
      Madame HENRIQUES, the greatest Female Rider of the present day over Garters, Banners, through Hoops, Balloons, &c., &c, will appear every evening in her great unrivalled principal act.
    • 1967, “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!”, in John Lennon (lyrics), Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, performed by The Beatles:
      Over men and horses, hoops and garters,
      Lastly through a hogshead of real fire.
      In this way, Mr. K. will challenge the world.

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • → Arabic: غَرْطَر (ḡarṭar, via garter snake)

Translations

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Verb

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garter (third-person singular simple present garters, present participle gartering, simple past and past participle gartered)

  1. (transitive) to fasten with a garter
  2. (intransitive) To wear a garter
    • 2011, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Jerusalem: The Biography – A History of the Middle East, page 385:
      Lady Hester loathed the coarse, deluded and lecherous Princess Caroline, who showed off to Smith by 'dancing about, exposing herself, like an opera girl', and even gartering below the knee:

Anagrams

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Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Old French gartier.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈɡartər/, /ɡarˈteːr/

Noun

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garter (plural garters)

  1. garter

Descendants

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References

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