English Reference

Word

band

US/ˈbænd/

UK/bˈænd/

Definitions

01musical group

A1 · Music

n. a group of people who play music together.

n. a group of musicians who perform together as an ensemble, typically in popular, jazz, or brass genres.

“My brother plays the drums in a rock band with his friends.”

“The local jazz band performed every Saturday night at the cellar club, attracting a loyal following of enthusiasts from across the city.”

Antonyms

02strip of material

A2

n. a thin, flat piece of material used to hold things together or as a decoration.

n. a thin, flat strip of flexible material used for binding, strengthening, or decorative purposes.

“She used a rubber band to keep the loose papers together.”

“The designer added a gold band around the waist of the dress to provide a subtle contrast against the dark silk.”

Synonyms

03group of people

B1

n. a small group of people who have the same goal or purpose.

n. a group of people loosely united for a common purpose or sharing a common identity.

“A small band of volunteers worked all night to clean up the park.”

“A determined band of protesters gathered outside the embassy, demanding immediate changes to the international trade agreement.”

Synonyms

Antonyms

04radio frequency range

B2 · Physics

n. a specific range of radio waves or light.

n. a designated range of frequencies or wavelengths within the electromagnetic spectrum.

“The radio station broadcasts on the FM band.”

“The satellite operates on a high-frequency band to ensure that data transmission remains stable even during severe weather conditions.”

Technical

Synonyms

05large amount of money

C1

n. a slang word for one thousand dollars.

n. a slang term for a thousand dollars, originally referring to the paper strip used to wrap a stack of cash.

“He spent a few bands on a new designer jacket.”

“The rapper bragged about having fifty bands in his pocket while standing in front of his new sports car.”

Slang · American English

Synonyms

06to join together

B2

v. to join with other people to do something as a group.

v. to form a group or confederacy for a common purpose; often used with 'together'.

“The neighbors decided to band together to stop the new highway.”

“Local businesses banded together to create a marketing campaign that would encourage residents to shop on the high street.”

Synonyms

Antonyms

07to put a strip on

C1 · Science

v. to put a small ring or strip around something, often to identify it.

v. to fasten a band around an object or animal, typically for identification or structural reinforcement.

“Scientists band birds to track where they fly during the winter.”

“The researchers spent the afternoon banding the migratory geese before releasing them back into the wildlife sanctuary.”

Technical

Synonyms

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *bandiz Old English bend Middle English band English band Inherited from Middle English band (also bond), from Old English beand, bænd, bend (“bond, chain, fetter, band, ribbon, ornament, chaplet, crown”), from Proto-Germanic bandą, bandiz (“band, fetter”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to tie, bind”). Middle English band reinforced by Old French bande. Cognate with Dutch band, German Band, Danish bånd, Swedish band, Icelandic band (“band”). Related to bond, bind, bend.

Derived from Middle English band, from Old French bande, from Old Occitan banda (“regiment of troops”), perhaps from Frankish bend, from Proto-Germanic bandiz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to tie; bond, band”). Compare German Bande (“band”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

Idioms

band together — to unite, to come together

get the band back together — To reunite a group of people or other entities.

one-man band — An organisation or business that is effectively run by only one person.

to beat the band — In such a way as to surpass all competition; hence, contextually, very vigorously, at a frantic pace, to a high degree.

Domains

AnthropologyArchitectureEducationMedicinePhysics

This entry

Level
A1 · Beginner
Frequency
Very common
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/band

English Reference