girt

noun

1. A horizontal structural member of post and beam architecture, typically attached to bridge two or more vertical members such as corner posts.

   “There are various ways of tying rafters to sidewalls, and the choices may vary depending on roof pitch. One of the most common is the use of “birdsmouths” cut into the rafter. A notch is cut into the rafter so that the rafter bears down flat upon the doubled top plate of stick framing, or upon the girt in heavy timber framing.”

verb

1. To gird.
2. To bind horizontally, as with a belt or girdle.
3. To measure the girth of.
4. (form-of, participle, past)simple past and past participle of gird

   “Eighty Poles, each of one Foot high, were erected for this purpoſe, and very ſtrong Cords of the bigneſs of Packthread were faſtned by Hooks to many Bandages, which the Workmen had girt round my Neck, my Hands, my Body, and my Legs.”

5. to capsize because of forces in the cable attaching it to another vessel.

adj

1. (not-comparable)Bound by a cable; used of a vessel so moored by two anchors that she swings against one of the cables by force of the current or tide.
2. (UK, alt-of, alternative, not-comparable)Alternative spelling of gurt in the sense 'great'.