gird

See also: gırd

English

WOTD – 2 September 2010

Heracles girding Antaeus

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɡɜːd/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ɡɝd/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Etymology 1

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

gird (third-person singular simple present girds, present participle girding, simple past and past participle girded or 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.

   The lady girt herself with silver chain, from which she hung a golden shear.

   Our home is girt by sea... - Advance Australia Fair

   • 1887, H. Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure‎^[1]:

     It took me back across the dim gulf of ages to some happy home in dead Imperial Kôr, where this winsome lady girt about with beauty had lived and died, and dying taken her last-born with her to the tomb.

3. (transitive, reflexive) To prepare oneself for an action.

Derived terms

• begird
• undergird
• ungird

Related terms

• girder
• girdle
• gird up one’s loins
• girt

Translations

to bind with a flexible rope or cord

• Bulgarian: запасвам (bg) (zapasvam)
• Finnish: sitoa (fi)
• French: lier (fr) ceindre (fr) garrotter (fr) ligaturer (fr)
• Georgian: მიმაგრება (mimagreba)
• German: angurten (de), anbinden (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ζώννυμι (zṓnnumi)

• Italian: legare (it) allaciare
• Russian: свя́зывать (ru) impf (svjázyvatʹ), связа́ть (ru) pf (svjazátʹ)
• Spanish: atar (es) ligar (es)
• Swedish: binda (sv), bunta (sv)

to encircle with, or as if with a belt

• Bulgarian: опасвам (bg) (opasvam), окръжавам (bg) (okrǎžavam)
• Finnish: vyöttää (fi) ((as if) with a belt); ympäröidä (fi) (surround)
• French: ceindre (fr) ceinturer (fr) entourer (fr) enserrer (fr)
• Georgian: შემორტყმა (šemorṭq̇ma), გარშემოხვევა (garšemoxveva), გარშემორტყმა (garšemorṭq̇ma)
• German: umringen (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ζώννυμι (zṓnnumi)

• Irish: timpeallaigh
• Italian: cinturare cingere (it) circondare (it)

• Maori: whītiki, rāpaki, whawhe
• Russian: подпоя́сывать (ru) impf (podpojásyvatʹ), подпоя́сать (ru) pf (podpojásatʹ), окружа́ть (ru) (okružátʹ), огораживать (ru) (ogoraživatʹ), окаймлять (ru) (okajmljatʹ), охва́тывать (ru) (oxvátyvatʹ), опоя́сывать (ru) (opojásyvatʹ)
• Spanish: ceñir (es) rodear (es) cercar (es) encerrar (es)
• Swedish: spänna (sv), omgärda (sv), omgjorda (sv), omringa (sv)

to prepare oneself

• German: rüsten (de) (reflexive)

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

gird (plural girds)

1. A sarcastic remark.

   • c. 1590–1592, William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene ii]:

     I thank thee for that gird, good Tranio.

2. A stroke with a rod or switch.
3. A severe spasm; a twinge; a pang.
   • a. 1694, John Tillotson, The Folly of Scoffing at Religion

     Conscience […] is freed from many fearful girds and twinges which the atheist feels.

Translations

sarcastic remark

• Bulgarian: присмех (bg) m (prismeh)
• Finnish: vinoilu (fi)

• Russian: насме́шка (ru) f (nasméška)
• Swedish: pik (sv) c

Verb

gird (third-person singular simple present girds, present participle girding, simple past and past participle girded)

1. (transitive) To jeer at.

   • c. 1608–1609, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Coriolanus”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene i]:

     Being moved, he will not spare to gird the gods.

2. (intransitive) To jeer.

   • c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene ii]:

     Men of all sorts take a pride to gird at me.

Translations

To jeer at

• Bulgarian: надсмивам се (nadsmivam se)

• Georgian: დაცინვა (dacinva), მასხრად აგდება (masxrad agdeba)
• Russian: насмехаться (ru) (nasmexatʹsja)

To jeer

• Bulgarian: надсмивам се (nadsmivam se)

• Georgian: დაცინვა (dacinva), მასხრად აგდება (masxrad agdeba)
• Russian: насмехаться (ru) (nasmexatʹsja)

Anagrams

• GRID, grid

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Zazaki

Alternative forms

• gırd

Adjective

gird

1. big