What does bandage mean?
A bandage is a strip of soft, absorbent material — usually cloth, gauze, or elastic fabric — used to bind a wound, hold a dressing in place, or support an injured part of the body. It is one of the most fundamental items in first aid and medicine, appearing everywhere from household medicine cabinets to hospital operating theatres. The word also functions as a verb: to bandage someone is to wrap them carefully in such material. Bandages carry no strong emotional connotation on their own, though they naturally evoke injury, care, and recovery. Related terms include dressing (the sterile pad placed directly on a wound) and plaster or adhesive strip (smaller sticky coverings for minor cuts). The word entered English in the early seventeenth century from French, ultimately rooted in the notion of a 'band' — something that binds. Simple, practical, and universally understood, it remains essential vocabulary for anyone describing injury treatment.
A strip of woven material used to bind up a wound, protect an injured part of the body, or hold a dressing in place.
"He removed the bandage to check how the cut was healing."
Distinguished from a 'dressing' (the sterile pad touching the wound) and from a 'plaster' or 'adhesive strip' (a small self-adhesive covering).
To bind or wrap (a wound or injured part of the body) with a bandage.
"The paramedic quickly bandaged her wrist at the scene."
Often used with 'up': 'bandage up the wound'.
Regular plural; countable noun.
"The first-aid kit contained several sterile bandages."
Before adhesive plasters existed, every cut meant cutting cloth — the word 'bandage' literally comes from 'band', and it's been binding wounds since the early 1600s.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of bandage
Bandage comes from French 'bandage', derived from 'bande' meaning a strip or band, which traces back through Old French to Germanic origins — the same root that gives English 'band'. It was adopted into English in the early seventeenth century as medical practice formalised the wrapping of wounds. Cognates and relatives include 'bandeau' (a headband) and 'bandolier' (a shoulder belt for ammunition), all sharing the underlying idea of a strip that binds or encircles.
Related word forms
How bandage is actually used
Neutral register, common in both everyday and medical contexts. In British English, 'plaster' often refers to a small adhesive strip (a 'Band-Aid' in American English), whereas 'bandage' typically denotes a longer roll of fabric. The verb form is slightly less frequent than the noun but fully standard.
Easily confused with bandage
Bondage means servitude or restraint (or consensual tying in a sexual context), while a bandage is a strip of fabric used to dress a wound.