Definition

1. Verb (transitive):
   • To encircle, bind, or surround with a belt, band, or similar object.
   • To prepare or brace oneself mentally or physically for a challenge or confrontation.

Usage

• The primary meaning involves physically encircling something, often with a belt or sash.
• The secondary, figurative meaning involves preparing oneself for action, often derived from the biblical phrase "to gird one's loins."

Examples

• Literal (encircle/bind):
  • The knight will gird his sword before the battle.
  • She used a rope to gird the bundle of sticks.
• Figurative (prepare/brace):
  • The team must gird themselves for a difficult negotiation.
  • The city began to gird its defenses against the coming storm.

Advanced Usage

• "to gird for": To make preparations for a specific, often difficult, event or conflict.
  • The company is girding for a major economic downturn.
• "to gird with": To provide or equip someone with something, such as power or strength.
  • The new law girds the agency with greater authority.

Variants and Related Words

• Girded/Girt: Both are accepted past tense and past participle forms (e.g., ).
• Girdle (noun/verb): A belt or cord for the waist; to encircle like a girdle.
• Ungird (verb): To remove a belt or girdle; to loosen or free from encirclement.
• Begird (verb, archaic): To gird about; to encompass.

Synonyms

• Encircle: To form a circle around.
• Girdle: To surround or encircle.
• Brace: To prepare for something difficult.
• Fortify: To strengthen mentally or physically.

Phrasal Verbs / Related Phrases

• Gird on: To put on or attach (something like a weapon) by girding.
  • He girded on his father's ancient blade.
• Gird up: Often used in the fixed phrase "gird up one's loins," meaning to prepare for action.
  • It's time to gird up our loins and finish this project.

Related Idioms

• Gird (up) one's loins: To prepare oneself for action or a difficult task. (This idiom originates from the ancient practice of tucking long robes into a belt to allow for freer movement.)
  • With the deadline approaching, she girded her loins and worked through the night.

Verb

1. bind with something round or circular
2. put a girdle on or around
   • gird your loins
3. prepare oneself for a military confrontation
   • The U.S. is girding for a conflict in the Middle East
   • troops are building up on the Iraqi border