Emily Dickinson Lexicon

GIRD, n. gurd. [San. geard, or gyrd, or gyrda, a twig, branch, rod, pole, Eng; a and; G; gurt, a girth, a girdle; Dan; gierde, a hedge, a rail. This word signifies primarily a twig, shoot or branch; hence a pole or stick, used in measuring. In measuring land, among our Saxon ancestors, the gyrd seems to have been a certain measure like our rod, perch or pole, all of which signify the same thing, a branch or shoot, a little pole. We now apply the word yard to a measure of three feet in length. In rude ages, gyrds, shoots of trees, were used for binding things together, whence the verb, to gird. See Withe. Gyrds were also used for driving, or for punishment, as we now use whips; and our common people use gird, for a severe stroke of a stick or whip; See Lye, under Gyrd and Weal-stylling.]

1. A twitch or pang; a sudden spasm which resembles the stroke of a rod or the pressure of a band.
2. In popular language, a severe stroke of a stick or whip.

GIRD, v.i.

To gibe to sneer; to break a scornful jest; to utter severe sarcasms. Mea of all sorts take a pride to gird at me. Shak.

GIRD, v.t. gurd.

1. pret. and pp; girded or girt; [Sax. gyrdan; G. gurten; D. gorden; Sw; giorda, to gird or sur. round; Dan; gierder, to hedge, to inclose. See the Noun; It is probable, that garden, Ir. gort, is from the same root; originally an inclosed field, a piece of ground surrounded with poles, stakes and branches of trees. If the noun is the primary word, the sense of the root. is to shout, as a branch; if the verb is the root, the sense is to surround or rather to bind or make fast. The former is the most probable.]
2. To bind by surrounding with any flexible substance, as with a twig, a cord, bandage or cloth; as, to gird the loins with sackcloth.
3. To make fast by binding; to put on; usually with on; as, to gird on a harness; to gird on a sword,
4. To invest;. to surround. The Son appeared, Girt with omnipotence. Milton.
5. To clothe; to dregs; to habit. I girded thee about with tine linen. Ezek. xvi.
6. To furnish; to equip. Milton. Girded with snaky wiles.
7. To surround; to encircle; to inclose; to encompass. The Nyseian isle, Girt with the river Triton. Milton. To gibe; to reproach severely; to lash. Shak.

GIRDED, pp.

Bound; surrounded; invested; put on.

GIRDER, n.

1. In architecture; the principal piece of timber in a floor. Its end is usually fastened into the summers or breast summers, and the joists are framed into it at one end. In buildings entirely of timber, the girder is fastened by tenons into the posts.
2. A satirist. Lilly.

GIRDING, n.

A covering; Is. iii.

GIRDING, ppr.

Binding; surrounding; investing.

GIRDLE, n. [Sax. gyrdle, gyrdl; Sw; gordel; G. gurtel; D.gordel.]

1. A band or belt; something drawn round the waist of a person, and tied or buckled; as, a girdle of fine linen; a leathern girdle.
2. Inclosure; circumference. Within the girdle of these walls. Shak,
3. The zodiac. Bacon. 4; A round iron plate for baking; [Qu; griddle.] Pegge.
4. Among jewelers, the line which encompasses the stone, parallel to the horizon. Cyc.

GIRD'LE, v.t.

1. To bind with a belt or sash; to gird; Shak.
2. To inclose; to environ; to shut in. Shak.
3. Ia America, to make a circular incision, like a belt, through the bark and alburnum of a tree to kill it. New England. Belknap. Dwight.

GIRDLE-BEIT, n.

A belt that encircles the waist. Dryden.

GIRDLED, pp.

Bound with a belt or sash.

GIRD'LER, n.

One who girdles; a maker of girdles. Beaum.

GIRD'LE-STEAD, n.

The part of the body where the girdle is worn. Mason.]

GIRD'LING,

ppr; Binding with a belt; surrounding.

GIRE, n. [L; gyrus.]

A circle, or circular motion; [See Gyre.]

GIR-ING, ppr.

Uttering reproachful, contemptuous and censorious words; scoffing.

GIRL, n.

1. gerl; [The origin of this word is not obvious. It is most probably the Low L. gerula, a young woman employed to tend children; a word left in England by the Romans. It is said that the word was formerly used for both sexes; be it so; gerulus was also used for a chairman.]
2. A female child, or young woman; In familiar language, any young unmarried woman. Dryden.
3. Among sportsmen, a roebuck of two years old.

GIRL'HOOD,

n The state of a girl. [Little used.] Miss Seward.

GIRLISH, a.

1. Like a young woman or child; befitting a girl.
2. Pertaining to the youth of a female. Carew.

GIRLISH-LY, adv.

In the manner of a girl.

GIRLISH-NESS, n.

Levity; the manners of a girl.

GI-ROND'IST, n.

One of a celebrated political party during the French revolution.

GIR'ROCK, n.

A species of gar-fish, the lacertus. Cyc.

GIRT,

pret; and pp; of Gird.

GIRT,

v, t. To gird; to surround. Thomson. Tooke. [This verb, if derived from the noun, girt, may be proper.]