Gir″dle, n. [OE. gurdel, girdel, AS. gyrdel, fr. gyrdan; akin to D. gordel, G. gürtel, Icel. gyr�ill. See Gird, v. t., to encircle, and cf. Girth, n.]
1. That which girds, encircles, or incloses; a circumference; a belt; esp., a belt, sash, or article of dress encircling the body usually at the waist; a cestus.
Within the girdle of these walls. Shak.
Their breasts girded with golden girdles. Rev. xv. 6.
2. The zodiac; also, the equator. Bacon.
From the world's girdle to the frozen pole. Cowper.
That gems the starry girdle of the year. Campbell.
3. (Jewelry) The line ofgreatest circumference of a brilliant-cut diamond, at which it is grasped by the setting. See Illust. of Brilliant. Knight.
4. (Mining) A thin bed or stratum of stone. Raymond.
5. (Zoöl.) The clitellus of an earthworm.
Girdle bone(Anat.), the sphenethmoid. See under Sphenethmoid. — Girdle wheel, a spinning wheel. — Sea girdle(Zoöl.), a ctenophore. See Venus's girdle, under Venus. — Shoulder, Pectoral, andPelvic, girdle. (Anat.) See under Pectoral, and Pelvic. — To have under the girdle, to have bound to one, that is, in subjection.