1
: something that confines or constricts while allowing a degree of movement
2
: something that binds or restrains legally, morally, or spiritually
3
: a strip serving to join or hold things together: such as
a
b
: a cord or strip across the back of a book to which the sections are sewn
4
: a thin flat encircling strip: such as
a
: a close-fitting strip that confines material at the waist, neck, or cuff of clothing
b
: a strip of cloth used to protect a newborn baby's navel
called also bellyband
c
: a ring of elastic
5
a
: a strip (as of living tissue or rock) or a stripe (as on an animal) differentiable (as by color, texture, or structure) from the adjacent material or area
b
: a more or less well-defined range of wavelengths, frequencies, or energies
c
6
: a narrow strip serving chiefly as decoration: such as
a
: a narrow strip of material applied as trimming to an article of dress
b
bands plural
: a pair of strips hanging at the front of the neck as part of a clerical, legal, or academic dress
c
: a ring without raised portions
banded; banding; bands
1
: to affix a band to or tie up with a band
2
: to finish or decorate with a band
3
: to gather together : unite
banded themselves together for protection
: to unite for a common purpose
—often used with together
have banded together in hopes of attacking the blight that is common to them all—
J. B. Conant
J. B. Conant
bander
noun
: a group of persons, animals, or things
especially
: a group of musicians organized for ensemble playing
Synonyms
Examples of band in a Sentence
Verb
banded the waist of the dress with a matching belt
banded the newspapers together for delivery
Recent Examples on the WebRuben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
Papercuts boasts 14 of the band’s 19 top 10s on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, including 10 of its 12 No. 1s on the list.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 21 Apr. 2024
On tour with the Spiders from Mars Angie persuaded Bowie's manager to hire her to accompany the band during the global trek in June 1972 to promote their latest album, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
—Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024
But for a band more about music than personality, the quartet, which sounded crisp, could sometimes blend in with the oval stage and awe-inducing graphics.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
There will be both bagpipers and a mariachi band at the opening on Friday.
—Jonathan Shikes, The Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2024
Grab the mini band with your left hand, palm facing up, and curl the band up towards your shoulder.
—Rozalynn S. Frazier, Health, 19 Apr. 2024
After massive fan turnout and hype throughout U2’s residency last fall followed by a special Grammy performance from the band this past February, The Sphere is getting ready to host rock jam band Phish for a four-night concert event.
—Rudie Obias, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024
The band will support the album with another round of tour dates kicking off in June, including appearances at CMA Fest in Nashville, at Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee, and at Chicago’s Windy City Smokeout festival in July.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2024
John Myers, Twin Cities, 6 Apr. 2024
On her 12th studio album, Shakira fully invests in these cross-genre marvels — songs with rapper Cardi B, Tejano band Grupo Frontera, Mexican corridos group Fuerza Regida and EDM masters Bizarrap and Tiesto, among others — that together represent the soundscape of current-day Latin pop.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024
Famous among birders, Wisdom was first banded by scientists in 1956.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2024
Even the secular intelligentsia banded with the ayatollah, dismissing the protests and the blatant anti-Semitic and anti-feminist character of the new leadership as a few minor quirks upon which the great revolution could not afford to dwell.
—Roya Hakakian, The Atlantic, 22 Nov. 2023
Outside of the government, civilians have banded to try and answer the questions about the unknown themselves.
—Kelsey Klimara, ABC News, 19 Jan. 2024
Here’s a quick way to distinguish the two species: the redear’s dark ear flap includes a red border, and the sides have more of a golden, often speckled, coloration with vertical banding much fainter than that of a bluegill.
—David A. Brown, Field & Stream, 11 Jan. 2024
Note the white banding on the rocks around the shore.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2023
Over the course of 60 years, scientists at the Bird Banding Laboratory captured and banded two million birds in the United States and Canada, recording their species and location.
—Maddie Bender, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2023
Noun
Observing the band was Andrew Chapman, 31, who drove from Encino to the festival with his wife and 3-year-old son to attend a reading by Blippi, a YouTube character who makes educational videos for kids.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2024
Papercuts boasts 14 of the band’s 19 top 10s on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, including 10 of its 12 No. 1s on the list.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 21 Apr. 2024
On tour with the Spiders from Mars Angie persuaded Bowie's manager to hire her to accompany the band during the global trek in June 1972 to promote their latest album, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
—Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024
But for a band more about music than personality, the quartet, which sounded crisp, could sometimes blend in with the oval stage and awe-inducing graphics.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
There will be both bagpipers and a mariachi band at the opening on Friday.
—Jonathan Shikes, The Denver Post, 19 Apr. 2024
Grab the mini band with your left hand, palm facing up, and curl the band up towards your shoulder.
—Rozalynn S. Frazier, Health, 19 Apr. 2024
After massive fan turnout and hype throughout U2’s residency last fall followed by a special Grammy performance from the band this past February, The Sphere is getting ready to host rock jam band Phish for a four-night concert event.
—Rudie Obias, Variety, 18 Apr. 2024
The band will support the album with another round of tour dates kicking off in June, including appearances at CMA Fest in Nashville, at Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee, and at Chicago’s Windy City Smokeout festival in July.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2024
Verb
There are now about 250 Minnesota loons banded and part of the study along with 400 in Wisconsin.
—John Myers, Twin Cities, 6 Apr. 2024
On her 12th studio album, Shakira fully invests in these cross-genre marvels — songs with rapper Cardi B, Tejano band Grupo Frontera, Mexican corridos group Fuerza Regida and EDM masters Bizarrap and Tiesto, among others — that together represent the soundscape of current-day Latin pop.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024
Famous among birders, Wisdom was first banded by scientists in 1956.
—Erika I. Ritchie, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2024
Even the secular intelligentsia banded with the ayatollah, dismissing the protests and the blatant anti-Semitic and anti-feminist character of the new leadership as a few minor quirks upon which the great revolution could not afford to dwell.
—Roya Hakakian, The Atlantic, 22 Nov. 2023
Outside of the government, civilians have banded to try and answer the questions about the unknown themselves.
—Kelsey Klimara, ABC News, 19 Jan. 2024
Here’s a quick way to distinguish the two species: the redear’s dark ear flap includes a red border, and the sides have more of a golden, often speckled, coloration with vertical banding much fainter than that of a bluegill.
—David A. Brown, Field & Stream, 11 Jan. 2024
Note the white banding on the rocks around the shore.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2023
Over the course of 60 years, scientists at the Bird Banding Laboratory captured and banded two million birds in the United States and Canada, recording their species and location.
—Maddie Bender, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'band.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near band
Cite this Entry
“Band.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/band. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
band
1 of 3 noun1
: something that confines or constricts while allowing some movement
2
: something that binds or restrains legally, morally, or spiritually
3
: a strip serving to join or hold things together
4
: a strip that is different (as in color, texture, or composition) from nearby matter
a black beak with a white band
5
: a range of wavelengths, frequencies, or energies between two specified limits
banded
adjective
ˈban-dəd
band
2 of 3 verb1
: to put a band on
2
: to tie up with a band
3
: to join in a group
banded together for protection
band
3 of 3 noun1
: a group of persons, animals, or things
2
: a group of musicians playing together
Etymology
Noun
partly from a word of Norse origin meaning "something that binds" and partly from early French bande "stripe"; of Germanic origin
Noun
from early French bande "troop," derived from an earlier word of Germanic origin
Medical Definition
band
noun1
: a thin flat encircling strip especially for binding: as
a
: a strip of cloth used to protect a newborn baby's navel
called also bellyband
b
: a thin flat strip of metal that encircles a tooth
orthodontic bands
2
: a strip separated by some characteristic color or texture or considered apart from what is adjacent: as
a
: a stripe, streak, or other elongated mark on an animal
especially
: one transverse to the long axis of the body
b
: a line or streak of differentiated cells
c
: one of the alternating dark and light segments of skeletal muscle fibers
d
e
: a strip of abnormal tissue either congenital or acquired
especially
: a strip of connective tissue that causes obstruction of the bowel
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