Definition of GIRTH

girth

Plural: girths

Noun

  • the distance around a person's body
  • stable gear consisting of a band around a horse's belly that holds the saddle in place
  • A band passed under the belly of an animal, which holds a saddle or a harness saddle in place.
  • The part of an animal around which the girth fits.
  • One's waistline circumference, most often a large one.
  • A small horizontal brace or girder.
  • The distance measured around an object.
  • The length of the shortest cycle in a graph.

Verb

  • tie a cinch around
  • To bind as if with a girth or band.

Origin / 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”).

Synonyms

cinch, circumference

Scrabble Score: 9

girth is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
girth is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
girth is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

girth is a valid Words With Friends word