Gird (gẽrd), v. t. [imp. & p. p.Girt (?) or Girded; p. pr. & vb. n.Girding.] [OE. girden, gurden, AS. gyrdan; akin to OS. gurdian, D. gorden, OHG. gurten, G. gürten, Icel. gyrða, Sw. gjorda, Dan. giorde, Goth. bigaírdan to begird, and prob. to E. yard an inclosure. Cf. Girth, n. & v., Girt, v. t.] 1. To encircle or bind with any flexible band.
2. To make fast, as clothing, by binding with a cord, girdle, bandage, etc.
3. To surround; to encircle, or encompass.
That Nyseian isle,
Girt with the River Triton. Milton.
4. To clothe; to swathe; to invest.
I girded thee about with fine linen. Ezek. xvi. 10.
The Son... appeared
Girt with omnipotence. Milton.
5. To prepare; to make ready; to equip; as, to gird one's self for a contest.
Thou hast girded me with strength. Ps. xviii. 39.
To gird on, to put on; to fasten around or to one securely, like a girdle; as, to gird on armor or a sword.
Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off. 1 Kings xx. 11.
— To gird up, to bind tightly with a girdle; to support and strengthen, as with a girdle.
He girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab. 1 Kings xviii. 46.
Gird up the loins of your mind. 1 Pet. i. 13.
— Girt up; prepared or equipped, as for a journey or for work, in allusion to the ancient custom of gathering the long flowing garments into the girdle and tightening it before any exertion; hence, adjectively, eagerly or constantly active; strenuous; striving. “A severer, more girt-up way of living.” J. C. Shairp.