gird

/ɡɜːd/

//ɡɜːd// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"gird" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gird” is uncommon English (frequency #73,224 among 2,313 “G” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#73,224
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To bind with a flexible rope or cord.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gird · gird · English

gird · rank #73,224 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #73,224
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH Gilliland

Nearest frequency peer: Gilliland (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “gird”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “gird” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for gird
PropertyValue
Headwordgird
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɡɜːd/
Letters4
Frequency rank#73,224
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “gird” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).girdfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Gilliland” (#73,223), “girlhood” (#73,225), “GFE” (#73,221). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “gird” is #73,224. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

gird is uncommon English at frequency #73,224 among 2,313 “G” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ɡɜːd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

gird has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English girden, gerden, gürden, from Old English gyrdan (“to put a belt around, to put a girdle around”), from Proto-Germanic *gurdijaną (“to gird”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰerdʰ-. Cognate with West Frisian gurdzje, girdzje, Dutch gorden, Ge… The correct English form is gird, spelled G-I-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To bind with a flexible rope or cord.
  2. 2
    To encircle with, or as if with a belt.
  3. 3
    To prepare (oneself) for an action.
  4. 4
    (of a vessel towing another) To be pulled on sideways by its towline, putting it at risk of capsizing.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how gird appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The fasces were girt about with twine in bundles large.
  2. We heere create thee the firſt Duke of Suffolke, / And girt thee with the Sword. Coſin of Yorke

Etymology

From Middle English girden, gerden, gürden, from Old English gyrdan (“to put a belt around, to put a girdle around”), from Proto-Germanic *gurdijaną (“to gird”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰerdʰ-. Cognate with West Frisian gurdzje, girdzje, Dutch gorden, German gürten, Swedish gjorda, Icelandic gyrða, Albanian ngërthej (“to tie together by weaving, to bind”).

This word in other languages

atar(Español)angurten(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "gird"?
"gird" is spelled G-I-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡɜːd/.
What does "gird" mean?
As a verb, "gird" means: To bind with a flexible rope or cord.
How do you pronounce "gird"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gird" is /ɡɜːd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "gird"?
From Middle English girden, gerden, gürden, from Old English gyrdan (“to put a belt around, to put a girdle around”), from Proto-Germanic *gurdijaną (“to gird”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰerdʰ-. Cognate with West Frisian gurdzje, girdzje, Dutch ... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "gird", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

hace#73,247haft#73,249ebon#73,146itsy#73,310

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list