garter
UK /ˈɡɑːtə/ · US /ˈɡɑːɹtɚ/ noun, verb
Forms garters gartering gartered
- noun A band worn around the leg to hold up a sock or stocking.
- noun (heraldry) A bendlet.
- noun (Philippines) An elastic band encircling any article of clothing.
- noun (obsolete) One of a set of tapes stretched out horizontally for acrobats and equestrians to leap over as part of a circus act or display of skill.
- verb (transitive) to fasten with a garter
- verb (intransitive) To wear a garter
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English garter, from Old Northern French gartier, from Old French garet (compare Old French jartier, from jaret), from Gaulish *garrā, from Proto-Celtic *garros (“calf, shank”) (compare Cornish gar, Cornish gar,Middle Welsh garr, Old Irish gairr). Cognate with French jarretière.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A band used to prevent a stocking from slipping down on the leg.
- noun The distinguishing badge of the highest order of knighthood in Great Britain, called the Order of the Garter, instituted by Edward III.; also, the Order itself.
- verb To bind with a garter.
- verb To invest with the Order of the Garter. T. Warton.
Etymology [OE. gartier, F. jarretière, fr. OF. garet bend of the knee, F. jarret; akin to Sp. garra claw, Prov. garra leg. See Garrote.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “garter”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details