noun / verb
girth
GURTH/ɡɜːrθ/
The measurement around the middle of a body.
The tape measures the tree trunk's girth around its middle.
Etymology
From a word for a belt or hoop, girth first named the belt around a horse’s body. The meaning expanded from the encircling band to the distance measured around an object.
In context
girth welds which are around the circumference of the pipe
More examples
- His growing girth makes his old pants feel tight.
- The tree's trunk measures twelve feet in girth.
- These two dogs have similar girths but very different weights.
Forms
girth · girths · girthed · girthing
Similar words
- circumference
- Measures any rounded boundary, not specifically around a body's middle.