baldric
bald·ric/ˈbɔldɹɪk/noun
baldric is spelled B-A-L-D-R-I-C: 7 letters and 2 syllables (bald·ric). It appears about once in every 32 million words in written English, the 171,907th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, baldric means “A broad belt, originally of leather and often richly ornamented, worn diagonally from shoulder to hip (across the breast and under the opposite arm)…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of baldric is baldrics.
How many letters and syllables are in baldric?
| Letters | 7: B-A-L-D-R-I-C |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: bald·ric |
| In writing | about once in every 32 million words; the 171,907th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is baldric?
Baldric appears about once in every 32 million words in written English, the 171,907th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce baldric?
- UK /ˈbɔːldɹɪk/
- UK [ˈbɔːɫdɹɪk]
- US /ˈbɔldɹɪk/
Baldric has 2 syllables, split bald·ric in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-baldric.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-baldric.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of baldric
- baldrics plural
- baldrick
- baudric
- baudrick
- baudricke
- bauldric
- bauldrick
- bawdric
- bawdrick
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does baldric mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A broad belt, originally of leather and often richly ornamented, worn diagonally from shoulder to hip (across the breast and under the opposite arm), which was formerly used to hold a sword, a bugle, etc., and is now chiefly worn for ceremonial purposes; also (loosely), any belt.
- 2
obsoleteA (usually leather) strap from which the clapper of a bell is suspended.
- 3
obsoleteA necklace.
- 4
obsoleteThe zodiac (“belt-like region of the celestial sphere, approximately eight degrees north and south of the ecliptic, which includes the apparent path of the sun, moon, and visible planets”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Baldric in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, e:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | baudrier |
| German | Wehrgehänge |
| Portuguese | boldrié, bandoleira, talabarte |
| Spanish | bálteo, tahalí, télamo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does baldric come from?
From Middle English baudrik, bauderik, baudry (“belt worn over the shoulder or around the waist for carrying a sword, etc., baldric; (by extension) type of leather strap”), from Old French baldré, baldrei, baudré (“crossbelt, sword-belt”) (modern French baudrier); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Frankish *balterād, from earlier *baltiraidī (“belt gear, belt equipment”) (compare Old Occitan baldrei, baudrat), from Frankish *balti (“belt”), from Latin balteus (possibly borrowed from Etruscan 𐌁𐌀𐌋𐌕𐌄𐌀 (baltea, “belt”)) + Frankish *(ga)raidī (“equipment”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).