garter

C1 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ˈɡɑrtɚ/ UK /ˈɡɑːtə/ See IPA manual

Freq #23629

Meanings

1

noun
a band worn around the leg to hold up a sock or stocking

He fastened each stocking with a narrow garter below the knee.
2

noun
a ribbon or badge resembling a garter, especially the insignia of the British Order of the Garter

The portrait showed the nobleman wearing the star and garter of his order.
3

noun
an informal shortened name for a garter snake

The children found two harmless garters beneath the shed.
4

verb
to fasten or encircle with a garter

She gartered her stockings before putting on her shoes.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a band worn around the leg... supporter

2 noun · a ribbon or badge... insignia badge

3 noun · an informal shortened name... garter snake

4 verb · to fasten or encircle with... fasten bind

More band

Word family

Forms garters

Derived forms garterlessungarter

Related forms stockinggarter snakeOrder of the Garter

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

garter belt
a belt with hanging straps used to hold stockings up

Noun + noun

Etymology

From Middle English garter, through Old Northern French gartier, from a word for the calf or bend of the knee. The name of the Order of the Garter comes from the band used as its emblem; garter snake refers to the animal's ribbonlike stripes.

Topics

Space, Position & Direction Word Formation & Derivatives Register & Style

External links

# garter

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈɡɑrtɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈɡɑːtə/
**Frequency rank:** 23629

## Meanings
1. a band worn around the leg to hold up a sock or stocking
2. a ribbon or badge resembling a garter, especially the insignia of the British Order of the Garter
3. an informal shortened name for a garter snake
4. to fasten or encircle with a garter

## Examples
- He fastened each stocking with a narrow garter below the knee.
- The portrait showed the nobleman wearing the star and garter of his order.
- The children found two harmless garters beneath the shed.
- She gartered her stockings before putting on her shoes.

## Synonyms
- supporter
- band
- insignia

## Derived Forms
- garterless
- ungarter

## Related Forms
- stocking
- garter snake
- Order of the Garter

## Etymology
From Middle English garter, through Old Northern French gartier, from a word for the calf or bend of the knee. The name of the Order of the Garter comes from the band used as its emblem; garter snake refers to the animal's ribbonlike stripes.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction
- Word Formation & Derivatives
- Register & Style

markdown