Dictionary

baldric en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈbɑl-/ (General-American, cot-caught-merger)
• /ˈbɔːldɹɪk/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈbɔːɫdɹɪk] (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• (General-American) audio
• /ˈbɔldɹɪk/ (General-American)

Etymology

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”). However, the Oxford English Dictionary states that a derivation from balteus does not satisfactorily account for the bald- spelling in the various languages. Middle High German balderich, belderich, derived from the Old French word, may have influenced the Middle English form. Sense 2.3 (“zodiac”) is from its resemblance to a belt ornamented with jewels (sense 1).

Meanings

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.
   • The longer weapon is carried by a narrow bauldric slung over the right shoulder and meeting another cord-shaped band at the breast, in fact suggesting our antiquated cross-belts. The Sword is always worn on the left side. […] A soldier's bauldric is coloured red, like the wood of the bows and arrows. 1884, Richard F[rancis] Burton, “The Sword in Babylonia, Assyria, and Persia, and Ancient India”, in The Book of the Sword, London: Chatto and Windus, […], →OCLC, pages 205–206:
   • And from his blazon'd baldric slung, / A mighty silver bugle hung, / And, as he rode, his armour rung, / Beside remote Shalott. 1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “The Lady of Shalott”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, part the third, page 14:
   • The figure on the left, holding the severed head of the ox, has removed his sword with the baldric from which it is suspended and given it to his companion, who holds it beside his own with the baldric swinging. 1922 June, H[enry] U[sher] H[all], “Great Benin Royal Altar”, in The Museum Journal, volume XIII, number 2, Philadelphia, Pa.: The University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 168:
   • [B]ut that I vvill haue a rechate vvinded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an inuiſible baldricke, all vvomen ſhall pardon mee: becauſe I vvill not doe them the vvrong to miſtruſt any, I vvill doe my ſelfe the right to truſt none: […] 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, Much Adoe about Nothing. […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], signature [A4], verso:
   • Athvvart his breſt a bauldrick braue he vvare, / That ſhind, like tvvinkling ſtars, vvith ſtones moſt pretious rare. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 29, page 97:
   • But now how many men are there proude of that that is not theyrs at al? Is there no man proude of keping another mannes gate? […] [W]hat a brag-kyng maketh a beareward wͭ [with] his ſyluer buttened bawdrike, for pride of another mannes bere? 1534 (date written), Thomas More, “A Treatice vpon the Passion of Chryste (Vnfinished) […]. The Fyrst Poynt, the Fall of Aungelles.”, in Marye Basset [i.e., Mary Basset], transl., edited by Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, page 1272, column 2:
   • Fore George, I would not ask thee to buckle my baldrick when the war-steeds were snorting, but I would trust Isabel with the links of my hauberk. 1843, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], “Earl Warwick, the King-maker”, in The Last of the Barons, volume I, London: Saunders and Otley, […], →OCLC, book II (The King’s Court), page 169:
   • The man facing Locklear had his head covered with a red bandanna, and over his shoulder was a baldric from which a cutlass had hung. The cutlass was now carving through the air at Locklear's head. 1998 November, Raymond E[lias] Feist, “Encounter”, in Krondor: The Betrayal […] (The Riftwar Legacy; I), New York, N.Y.: HarperTorch, HarperCollinsPublishers, published February 2001, →ISBN, page 15:
   • A radiant Baldric, o'er his Shoulder ty'd, / Suſtains the Svvord that glitters at his ſide. 1715, Homer, “Book III”, in Alexander Pope, transl., The Iliad of Homer, volume I, London: […] W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, page 20, lines 415–416:
   • The face of the man who stood before him was hidden by a Corinthian helmet. His bronze breastplate was decorated in silver, and he carried his sword hanging from a chain-mail baldric. Over his shoulders was a cloak of blue linen that the evening breeze filled like a sail. 2001, Valerio Massimo Manfredi, chapter 27, in Iain Halliday, transl., Alexander: The Sands of Ammon […], London: Macmillan, →ISBN, page 167:
2. (broadly, obsolete) A (usually leather) strap from which the clapper of a bell is suspended.
   • The Bawdricke of a bell-clapper. Ropalicorigia. 1615, Thomas Thomas, “The Bawdricke of a bell-clapper”, in Thomæ Thomasii Dictionarium […], 10th edition, London: […] Iohannis Legati, celeberrimæ Academiæ Cantabrigiensis typographi, →OCLC, column 1:
   • The Bells were evidently a constant source of expense, and very large sums were spent in their re-casting and re-hanging. Scarcely a year passed without some new bell-wheel, bawdricke, rope or clapper being required. 1883, Frederick George Lee, “The Church, Its History and Antiquities”, in The History, Description, and Antiquities of the Prebendal Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Thame, in the County and Diocese of Oxford, […], London: Mitchell and Hughes, […], →OCLC, columns 18–19:
   • [P]aid to the Collermaker of Leawsam for a bawdricke for the great bell … … … iijs. 1585 (date written), J[ohn] C[harles] L[ett] Stahlschmidt, “Part III. Inscriptions.”, in The Church Bells of Kent: Their Inscriptions, Founders, Uses and Traditions, London: Elliot Stock, […], published 1887, →OCLC, page 276:
3. (broadly, obsolete) A necklace.
   • Baldrike for a ladyes necke carcan s[ubstantive] ma[le] 1530 July 28 (Gregorian calendar), Iohan Palsgraue [i.e., John Palsgrave], “The Table of Substantyues”, in Lesclarcissement de la langue francoyse⸝ […], [London]: […] [Richard Pynson] fynnysshed by Iohan Haukyns, →OCLC, 3rd boke, folio xix, recto, column 1; reprinted Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, October 1972, →OCLC:
4. (figuratively, obsolete) The 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”).
   • [S]he [Astraea] hath novv an euerlaſting place, / Mongſt thoſe tvvelue ſignes, vvhich nightly vve doe ſee / The heauens bright-ſhining baudricke to enchace; […] 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto I”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 11, page 190:
   • Right fondly haue the Poets pleaſ'd to ſay, / From earth the faire Aſtræa’s fled avvay, / And in the ſhining Baudrike takes her ſeat, / To make the number of the ſignes compleat. 1621, Fra[ncis] Quarles, “Sect[ion] 13. Meditatio decimatertia.”, in Hadassa: Or The History of Queene Ester: With Meditations thereupon, Diuine and Morall, London: […] Richard Moore, […], →OCLC, signature K, verso:

Forms

Deriveds

baldricked · baldricwise

Translations (32)

lt perpetė (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · io baldrio (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · nl bandelier (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · uk пантале́р (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · pa گاترا (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · de Wehrgehänge (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · eo balteo (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · xmk ἀορτής (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · grc ξιφιστής (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · et mõõgavöö (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · it tracolla (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · ar حَمَّالَة (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · es bálteo (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · pt talabarte (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · pl pendent (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · hu kardszíj (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · pa ਗਾਤਰਾ (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · fi miekkavyö (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · pt bandoleira (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · ota حمایل (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · it balteo (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · fr baudrier (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · ru панталер (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · grc βαστάγιον (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · es télamo (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · es tahalí (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · hu kardkötő (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · ru бандальер (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · fa حمایل (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · pt boldrié (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · ru пе́ревязь (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.) · lt portupėja (broad belt worn diagonally from shoulder to hip formerly used to hold a sword, etc.)

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