What does gird mean?
Gird is a formal and literary verb meaning to encircle or bind something around the body, especially the waist. Its figurative senses are equally important: to gird a person or group with power, protection, or resources is to equip them for a difficult undertaking, while to gird oneself for conflict means to prepare resolutely for struggle or exertion. Expressions such as "gird one's loins" and "gird up for battle" retain the word's associations with fastening armor and preparing for action. Although the verb can still appear in serious or elevated prose, simpler words such as prepare, equip, and surround are more common in everyday speech. Gird also survives as an archaic noun for a belt, girdle, or encircling band. The word is especially interesting because it links the physical act of binding around the body with the older figurative idea of arming oneself and gathering strength before conflict.
To encircle or fasten something around the body; to surround or equip someone; or to prepare oneself for action or conflict.
"The soldiers girded themselves for the difficult march ahead."
Chiefly literary and formal; often transitive, although "gird up" is also used independently.
An archaic belt, girdle, or encircling band.
"The scribe described a broad gird fastened over the robe."
Archaic and uncommon in modern English.
The plural is extremely rare because the noun is archaic.
"The catalogue records several girds decorated with metal studs."
The phrase "gird one's loins" preserves the image of fastening armor before action.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does gird come from?
The verb comes from Old English gyrdan, continued in Middle English, and is cognate with forms such as Old Norse gyrða and Dutch gorden. Its Germanic forms belong to a root associated with enclosing or binding around, which also produced English relatives including girdle, girth, and guard. The verb was extended figuratively to the ideas of arming, protecting, and preparing oneself for conflict.
Related word forms
How gird is actually used
The verb is now chiefly literary, formal, and somewhat old-fashioned. It is usually transitive, though forms such as "gird up" can stand alone. The noun is archaic and rarely encountered in modern prose.
Easily confused with gird
A grid is a framework of intersecting horizontal and vertical lines, whereas gird means to encircle or bind something around.
A gourd is a type of fruit or plant container, while gird is a verb meaning to encircle, equip, or prepare oneself.