band

noun

1. A strip of material used for strengthening or coupling.

   “The Jones man was looking at her hard. Now he reached into the hatch of his vest and fetched out a couple of cigars, everlasting big ones, with gilt bands on them.”

2. A strip of material used for strengthening or coupling.

   “band and gusset and seam”

3. A strip of material used for strengthening or coupling.
4. A strip of material used for strengthening or coupling.
5. A long strip of material, color, etc, that is different from the surrounding area.

   “sandstone with bands of shale”

   “[...] at each station the train times are not shown in one all-embracing chronological list, but in two separate sheets, one with a conspicuous band of yellow detailing westbound departures and the other with a similar band of blue the eastbound trains.”

6. A strip of decoration.
7. A strip of decoration.
8. That which serves as the means of union or connection between persons; a tie.

   “For that heroic band—those children of the furnace who, in regions like Texas and Tennessee, maintained their fidelity through terrible trials—we of the North felt for them, and profoundly we honor them.”

9. A linen collar or ruff worn in the 16th and 17th centuries.
10. (in-plural)Two strips of linen hanging from the neck in front as part of a clerical, legal, or academic dress.
11. A part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
12. A group of energy levels in a solid state material.

    “valence band;  conduction band”

13. (obsolete)A bond.

    “OLd Iohn of Gaunt, time-honoured Lancaſter, Haſt thou according to thy oath and band Brought hither Henry Herford thy bold ſon: Heere to make good yͤ boiſtrous late appeale, Which then our leyſure would not let vs heare, Againſt the Duke of Norfolke, Thomas Mowbray?”

14. (obsolete)Pledge; security.

    “He sent to her his basenet as a faithfull band.”

15. (US, especially)A ring, such as a wedding ring (wedding band), or a ring put on a bird's leg to identify it.
16. Any distinguishing line formed by chromatography, electrophoresis etc
17. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis)Ellipsis of band cell.
18. (in-plural, often, slang)A wad of money totaling $1K, held together by a band; (by extension) $1000, a grand; (by extension) money

    “She my trap queen, let her hit the bando / We be countin' up, watch how far them bands go”

19. A designated range of radio frequencies used for wireless communication.
20. A group of musicians who perform together as an ensemble; sometimes, such a group working for a professional recording artist.

    “musical band”

    “session band”

    “studio band”

    “touring band”

    “bar band”

21. A type of orchestra originally playing janissary music; an instance of this type.
22. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis)Ellipsis of marching band.
23. A group of people loosely united for a common purpose, such as a band of thieves.

    “But in the mean time Robin Hood and his band lived quietly in Sherwood Forest, without showing their faces abroad, for Robin knew that it would not be wise for him to be seen in the neighborhood of Nottingham, those in authority being very wroth with him.”

    “"My third command to the Winged Monkeys," said Glinda, "shall be to carry you to your forest. Then, having used up the powers of the Golden Cap, I shall give it to the King of the Monkeys, that he and his band may thereafter be free for evermore."”

24. A small group of people living in a simple society, contrasted with tribes, chiefdoms, and nations.
25. (Canada, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis)Ellipsis of band government.

verb

1. (transitive)To fasten with a band.

   “As he spake, his eyes rested on the graves below. "Yes," muttered the youth, "they are sufficient answer; they are indeed the end of all human hope." Mechanically he turned from one to another. Some were recently banded down with osiers, and the grass was varied with primrose roots; on some the foxglove grew luxuriantly, while others had a tombstone, carved with a name and a brief epitaph.”

   “"Come, come, 'Orace," said the inspector, leisurely elastic-banding his book and putting it away, "you aren't supposed to be fishing down that hole, you know. Is it O.K. there?"”

2. (transitive)To fasten an identifying band around the leg of (a bird).
3. (intransitive)To group together for a common purpose; to confederate.

   “And when it was day, certaine of the Iewes banded together, […]”

4. (transitive)To group (students) together by perceived ability; to stream.
5. (form-of, obsolete, participle, past)simple past and past participle of bind
6. (alt-of, obsolete)Obsolete form of bandy.

name

1. A surname from German.