Girdle \Gir"dle\, n. [OE. gurdel, girdel, AS. gyrdel, fr. gyrdan; akin to D. gordel, G. g["u]rtel, 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. [Poetic] --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. (Zo["o]l.) The clitellus of an earthworm.
{Girdle bone} (Anat.), the sphenethmoid. See under {Sphenethmoid}.
{Girdle wheel}, a spinning wheel.
{Sea girdle} (Zo["o]l.), a ctenophore. See {Venus's girdle}, under {Venus}.
{Shoulder}, {Pectoral}, & {Pelvic}, {girdle}. (Anat.) See under {Pectoral}, and {Pelvic}.
{To have under the girdle}, to have bound to one, that is, in subjection.
Pectoral \Pec"to*ral\, n. [L. pectorale a breastplate, neut. of pectoralis.] 1. A covering or protecting for the breast.
2. (Eccl.) (a) A breastplate, esp. that worn by the Jewish high person. (b) A clasp or a cross worn on the breast.
3. A medicine for diseases of the chest organs, especially the lungs.
Pectoral \Pec"to*ral\ (p[e^]k"t[-o]*ral), a. [L. pectoralis, fr. pectus, -oris the breast; cf. F. pectoral.] 1. Of or pertaining to the breast, or chest; as, the pectoral muscles.
2. Relating to, or good for, diseases of the chest or lungs; as, a pectoral remedy.
3. (Zo["o]l.) Having the breast conspicuously colored; as, the pectoral sandpiper.
{Pectoral arch}, or {Pectoral girdle} (Anat.), the two or more bony or cartilaginous pieces of the vertebrate skeleton to which the fore limbs are articulated; the shoulder girdle. In man it consists of two bones, the scapula and clavicle, on each side.
{Pectoral cross} (Eccl.), a cross worn on the breast by bishops and abbots, and sometimes also by canons.
{Pectoral fins}, or {Pectorals} (Zo["o]l.), fins situated on the sides, behind the gills. See Illust. under {Fin}.
{Pectoral rail}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Land rail} (b) under {Land}.
{Pectoral sandpiper} (Zo["o]l.), the jacksnipe (b) .
What's startling is its huge girth and wide pectoral fins.