girth

C2 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

US /ɡɝθ/ UK /ɡɜːθ/ See IPA manual

Freq #34278

Meanings

1

noun
stable gear consisting of a band around a horse's belly that holds the saddle in place

We should replace this old girth before the saddle comes loose while someone is riding.
2

noun
the distance around a person's body

I am trying to reduce my girth through diet and exercise.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · stable gear consisting of a... cinch

More circumference waistline

Word family

Forms girths

Derived forms breast-girthbreastgirthdigirthgirth-galledgirthengirthfulgirthlessgirthlinegirthlygirthsomegirthyungirth

Related forms gird

Etymology

From Middle English girth, gerth, gyrth, from Old Norse gjǫrð, from Proto-Germanic *gerdō, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰerdʰ- (“to encircle, enclose; belt”). Cognate with Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌰 (gairda), Icelandic gjörð. Also related to German Gurt, English gird, Albanian ngërthej (“to tie, bind, fasten”).

*gʰerdʰ- Proto-Indo-European girth Middle English gjǫrð Old Norse *gerdō Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

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# girth

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɡɝθ/
**IPA (UK):** /ɡɜːθ/
**Frequency rank:** 34278

## Meanings
1. stable gear consisting of a band around a horse's belly that holds the saddle in place
2. the distance around a person's body

## Examples
- We should replace this old girth before the saddle comes loose while someone is riding.
- I am trying to reduce my girth through diet and exercise.

## Synonyms
- cinch
- circumference
- waistline

## Derived Forms
- breast-girth
- breastgirth
- digirth
- girth-galled
- girthen
- girthful
- girthless
- girthline
- girthly
- girthsome
- girthy
- ungirth

## Related Forms
- gird

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *gʰerdʰ-
- Root: girth
- Root: gjǫrð
- Root: *gerdō

## Etymology
From Middle English girth, gerth, gyrth, from Old Norse gjǫrð, from Proto-Germanic *gerdō, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰerdʰ- (“to encircle, enclose; belt”). Cognate with Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌳𐌰 (gairda), Icelandic gjörð. Also related to German Gurt, English gird, Albanian ngërthej (“to tie, bind, fasten”).

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction

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girth

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