Garter
/ˈɡɑːr.tər/noun
A band or strap worn to hold up a stocking or sock.
Did you know?The Order of the Garter is one of the oldest and most prestigious orders of knighthood in Europe, and its famous motto is said to have come from a courtly incident tied to a dropped garter.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gartō
“a girdle, belt, or band for binding”
Old French
OF
garetier / gartier
“a strap or band for the leg or stocking”
Middle English
ME
garter
“a band worn around the leg to support a stocking”
14th Century
English
garter
“a leg band or stocking support; later associated with the ceremonial insignia of knighthood”
Modern English
English
garter
“a band worn to hold up a stocking, or a ceremonial emblem of the Order of the Garter”