girdle
n. countablen. a strong metal ring that holds up a mine tunnel. It keeps the roof from falling and keeps the miners safe.
n. a structural steel ring used in mining to support the roof of a tunnel or shaft. It prevents the collapse of the surrounding rock and ensures the stability of the excavation.
The miners installed a new steel girdle to support the tunnel.
After the roof began to crack, the safety team ordered the immediate installation of a reinforced girdle to prevent a cave-in.
In deep-level mining operations, the placement of a girdle is a critical engineering decision that determines the long-term structural integrity of the entire shaft system.
From Middle English girdel, gerdel, gurdel, from Old English gyrdel, from Proto-West Germanic gurdil, from Proto-Germanic gurdilaz (“girdle, belt”), equivalent to gird + -le. Cognates Cognate with Saterland Frisian Gäddel (“belt”), West Frisian gurdle, gurle, gurl (“belt”), Dutch gordel (“belt”), German Gürtel (“belt”), Yiddish גאַרטל (gartl, “belt”) (whence gartel, a doublet of girdle), Swedish gördel (“girdle”), Icelandic gyrðill (“girdle”).