Library / English Dictionary

BAND

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A thin flat strip of flexible material that is worn around the body or one of the limbs (especially to decorate the body)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("band" is a kind of...):

slip; strip (artifact consisting of a narrow flat piece of material)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "band"):

wrist band; wristlet (a band or bracelet worn around the wrist)

wristband (band consisting of a part of a sleeve that covers the wrist)

mourning band; weed (a black band worn by a man (on the arm or hat) as a sign of mourning)

bracelet; watch bracelet; watchband; watchstrap; wristband (a band of cloth or leather or metal links attached to a wristwatch and wrapped around the wrist)

sweatband (a band of material tied around the forehead or wrist to absorb sweat)

sweatband (a band of fabric or leather sewn inside the crown of a hat)

shoulder strap; strap (a band that goes over the shoulder and supports a garment or bag)

elastic; elastic band; rubber band (a narrow band of elastic rubber used to hold things (such as papers) together)

hoop; ring (a rigid circular band of metal or wood or other material used for holding or fastening or hanging or pulling)

armband (a band worn around the upper arm)

arm band; armlet (a band worn around the arm for decoration)

backband (a broad band that passes over the back of a horse and supports the shafts of a vehicle)

bellyband (a cloth band that is worn around the waist (as on infants until the navel has healed))

collar; neckband (a band that fits around the neck and is usually folded over)

collar (a band of leather or rope that is placed around an animal's neck as a harness or to identify it)

garter; supporter (a band (usually elastic) worn around the leg to hold up a stocking (or around the arm to hold up a sleeve))

cincture; girdle; sash; waistband; waistcloth (a band of material around the waist that strengthens a skirt or trousers)

headband (a band worn around or over the head)

headpiece; headstall (the band that is the part of a bridle that fits around a horse's head)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An adornment consisting of a strip of a contrasting color or material

Synonyms:

band; banding; stripe

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("band" is a kind of...):

adornment (a decoration of color or interest that is added to relieve plainness)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "band"):

cigar band (a narrow paper band around a cigar)

hatband (a band around the crown of a hat just above the brim)

neckband (a band around the collar of a garment)

pinstripe (a very thin stripe (especially a white stripe on a dark fabric))

Holonyms ("band" is a part of...):

garment (an article of clothing)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A restraint put around something to hold it together

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("band" is a kind of...):

constraint; restraint (a device that retards something's motion)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "band"):

withe (band or rope made of twisted twigs or stems)

ligature (a metal band used to attach a reed to the mouthpiece of a clarinet or saxophone)

collet (a band or collar that holds an individual stone in a jewelry setting)

brake band (a band that can be tightened around a shaft to stop its rotation)

Derivation:

band (bind or tie together, as with a band)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A strip of material attached to the leg of a bird to identify it (as in studies of bird migration)

Synonyms:

band; ring

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("band" is a kind of...):

slip; strip (artifact consisting of a narrow flat piece of material)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A thin flat strip or loop of flexible material that goes around or over something else, typically to hold it together or as a decoration

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("band" is a kind of...):

slip; strip (artifact consisting of a narrow flat piece of material)

loop (anything with a round or oval shape (formed by a curve that is closed and does not intersect itself))

Sense 6

Meaning:

A driving belt in machinery

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("band" is a kind of...):

belt (endless loop of flexible material between two rotating shafts or pulleys)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Jewelry consisting of a circlet of precious metal (often set with jewels) worn on the finger

Example:

he noted that she wore a wedding band

Synonyms:

band; ring

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("band" is a kind of...):

jewellery; jewelry (an adornment (as a bracelet or ring or necklace) made of precious metals and set with gems (or imitation gems))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "band"):

engagement ring (a ring given and worn as a sign of betrothal)

mourning ring (a ring worn as a memorial to a dead person)

ringlet (a small ring)

seal ring; signet ring (a ring bearing a signet)

wedding band; wedding ring (a ring (usually plain gold) given to the bride (and sometimes one is also given to the groom) at the wedding)

Sense 8

Meaning:

A stripe or stripes of contrasting color

Example:

the black and yellow banding of bees and wasps

Synonyms:

band; banding; stria; striation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("band" is a kind of...):

bar; streak; stripe (a narrow marking of a different color or texture from the background)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "band"):

collar ((zoology) an encircling band or marking around the neck of any animal)

stretch mark (a narrow band resulting from tension on the skin (as on abdominal skin after pregnancy))

Sense 9

Meaning:

A cord-like tissue connecting two larger parts of an anatomical structure

Synonyms:

band; isthmus

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("band" is a kind of...):

tissue (part of an organism consisting of an aggregate of cells having a similar structure and function)

Sense 10

Meaning:

A range of frequencies between two limits

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("band" is a kind of...):

range (a variety of different things or activities)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "band"):

frequency band; waveband (a band of adjacent radio frequencies (e.g., assigned for transmitting radio or television signals))

Sense 11

Meaning:

An unofficial association of people or groups

Example:

they were an angry lot

Synonyms:

band; circle; lot; set

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("band" is a kind of...):

social group (people sharing some social relation)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "band"):

company; party (a band of people associated temporarily in some activity)

jet set (a set of rich and fashionable people who travel widely for pleasure)

horsey set; horsy set (a set of people sharing a devotion to horses and horseback riding and horse racing)

Four Hundred (the exclusive social set of a city)

confederacy; conspiracy (a group of conspirators banded together to achieve some harmful or illegal purpose)

cohort (a band of warriors (originally a unit of a Roman Legion))

camp; clique; coterie; ingroup; inner circle; pack (an exclusive circle of people with a common purpose)

car pool (a small group of car drivers who arrange to take turns driving while the others are passengers)

Sense 12

Meaning:

Instrumentalists not including string players

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("band" is a kind of...):

musical group; musical organisation; musical organization (an organization of musicians who perform together)

Meronyms (parts of "band"):

section (a division of an orchestra containing all instruments of the same class)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "band"):

marching band (a band that marches (as in a parade) and plays music at the same time)

brass band (a group of musicians playing only brass and percussion instruments)

concert band; military band (a group of musicians playing brass and woodwind and percussion instruments)

Sense 13

Meaning:

A group of musicians playing popular music for dancing

Synonyms:

band; dance band; dance orchestra

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("band" is a kind of...):

musical group; musical organisation; musical organization (an organization of musicians who perform together)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "band"):

big band (a large dance or jazz band usually featuring improvised solos by lead musicians)

combo; jazz band; jazz group (a small band of jazz musicians)

rock band; rock group (a band of musicians who play rock'n'roll music)

steel band (a band that plays instruments made from the heads of oil drums (Caribbean Islands))

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Attach a ring to the foot of, in order to identify

Example:

band the geese to observe their migratory patterns

Synonyms:

band; ring

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "band" is one way to...):

attach (cause to be attached)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Bind or tie together, as with a band

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "band" is one way to...):

bind; tie (fasten or secure with a rope, string, or cord)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

band (a restraint put around something to hold it together)

Credits

 Context examples: 

The band pattern is the result of differential interactions between the dye and nonadjacent chromosomal regions.

(Chromosome Band, NCI Thesaurus)

In aggressive cases, there is rearrangement of the 8q21 chromosome band.

(Chondroblastoma, NCI Thesaurus)

It has been associated with chromosomal rearrangement of 6q13 and 6q25 bands.

(Chondromyxoid Fibroma, NCI Thesaurus)

The dark band running horizontally across the center corresponds to the galactic plane.

(Planck Takes Magnetic Fingerprint of Our Galaxy, JPL/NASA)

Unlike Jupiter’s GRS, the Neptune spot is not as tightly constrained by numerous alternating wind jets (seen as bands in Jupiter’s atmosphere).

(Hubble Sees Neptune's Mysterious Shrinking Storm, NASA)

Then, having used up the powers of the Golden Cap, I shall give it to the King of the Monkeys, that he and his band may thereafter be free for evermore.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

They delivered him up to justice, and he and all his murderous band were condemned to death for their wicked deeds.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

To make the yarns highly elastic, they introduced so much twist that the yarns coiled like an over-twisted rubber band.

(Energy-Harvesting Yarns Generate Electricity, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A narrow cloud band encircles the planet north of the equator.

(Hubble Reveals Dynamic Atmospheres of Uranus, Neptune, NASA)

The tempests, which can grow into bright bands that encircle the entire planet, are on a natural timer that is reset by each subsequent storm.

(Study Explains Saturn's Epic Tantrums, NASA)