garter

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. An elasticized band worn around the leg to hold up a stocking or sock.
2. n. A suspender strap with a fastener attached to a girdle or belt to hold up a stocking or sock.
3. n. An elasticized band worn around the arm to keep the sleeve pushed up.
4. n. The badge of the Order of the Garter.
5. n. The order itself.
6. n. Membership in the order.
7. v. To fasten and hold with a garter.
8. v. To put a garter on.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A tie or fastening to keep the stocking in place on the leg; especially, a band passing round the leg, either above or below the knee.
2. n. The badge of the Order of the Garter (which see, below); hence, membership in the order; also [capitalized], the order itself: as, to confer or to receive the garter; a knight of the Garter.
3. n. In heraldry, same as bendlet, : sometimes taken as occupying half the space of the bendlet, or quarter of the bend.
4. n. [capitalized] An abbreviation of Garter king-at-arms (which see, below).
5. n. plural In a circus, the tapes that are held up for a performer to leap over.
6. n. A semicircular key in a bench-vise.
7. n. In printing, an iron band which prevented the splitting of the wooden box that resisted the impression-spindle of the old form of handpress.
8. To bind with a garter.
9. To invest with the garter, as a member of the Order of the Garter.
10. n. plural Leg-irons or shackles.

Wiktionary

1. n. A band worn around the leg to hold up a sock or stocking.
2. v. to fasten with a garter

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A band used to prevent a stocking from slipping down on the leg.
2. n. The distinguishing badge of the highest order of knighthood in Great Britain, called the Order of the Garter, instituted by Edward III.; also, the Order itself.
3. n. (Her.) Same as Bendlet.
4. v. To bind with a garter.
5. v. To invest with the Order of the Garter.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. fasten with or as if with a garter
2. n. a band (usually elastic) worn around the leg to hold up a stocking (or around the arm to hold up a sleeve)