girdle
UK[ˈɡɜːdl]US[ˈɡɜːrdl]
n
A piece of women's underwear worn around the waist and hips to shape the body.
n
Something that surrounds or encircles something else like a belt.
n
The bony structure that encircles the body, such as the shoulder girdle or pelvic girdle.
Morpheme Breakdown
gird
le
gird
encircle
le
noun-forming suffix
Etymology
The word 'girdle' has a direct lineage from Old English gyrdel, which itself is derived from the verb gyrdan, meaning "to gird or encircle." This verb can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic gurdijaną and further to the Proto-Indo-European root gher-, meaning "to grasp or enclose." The literal sense of a belt or cord for binding evolved in Middle English to specifically denote a belt worn around the waist. Over time, its application broadened to include any encircling band, leading to its modern anatomical and undergarment meanings, all retaining the core concept of something that surrounds.
Analysis
Structure: gird (encircle) + le (noun-forming suffix)
'gird' originates from Old English gyrdan, meaning "to encircle or bind." 'le' is a noun-forming suffix from Old English -el, -ol, used to form agent nouns or instruments.
Examples
She wore a firm girdle under her wedding dress.
A girdle of mountains surrounded the peaceful valley.
The pectoral girdle connects the upper limbs to the axial skeleton.