bangle

bangle

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbæŋ.ɡəl/
• Rhymes: -æŋɡəl

Etymology 1

From Hindi बंग्ली (baṅglī, “glass bracelet”).

Noun

bangle (plural bangles)

1. A rigid bracelet or anklet, especially one with no clasp.
   • 1919, W. Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence, ch. 15

     Mrs. MacAndrew smoothed down the lap of her gown, and gold bangles fell over her wrists.

Translations

a rigid bracelet or anklet, especially one with no clasp

Assamese: খাৰু (kharu) Georgian: სამაჯური (samaǯuri) Italian: cerchietto (it) m, braccialetto (it) m, braccialetto da schiava m Japanese: バングル (banguru) Persian: النگو‎ (fa) (alangu)

Russian: брасле́т (ru) m (braslét) Swahili: bangili (sw) class 9/10 Tamil: வளையல் (ta) (vaḷaiyal) Turkish: halhal (tr), bilezik (tr)

Etymology 2

Unknown, yet probably from bang +‎ -le (frequentative suffix).

Verb

bangle (third-person singular simple present bangles, present participle bangling, simple past and past participle bangled)

1. (transitive, obsolete) to beat about or beat down, as corn by the wind.
2. (obsolete or dialectal) to waste away little by little; squander carelessly; fritter (away).
   • 1621, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy, Oxford: Printed by Iohn Lichfield and Iames Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 216894069; The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd corrected and augmented edition, Oxford: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, 1624, OCLC 54573970, (please specify |partition=1, 2, or 3):

     , New York Review Books 2001, p.273:

     Thus betwixt hope and fear, suspicions, angers […] betwixt falling in, falling out, etc., we bangle away our best days, befool out our times […].

   If we bangle away the legacy of peace left us by Christ, it is a sign of our want of regard for him. — Duty of Man.

3. (intransitive) (falconry) to beat about in the air; flutter: said of a hawk which does not rise steadily and then swoop down upon its prey.
4. (intransitive) to flap or hang down loosely, as a hat brim or an animal's ear.

Etymology 3

Apparently from bang (verb) +‎ -le (instrumental suffix), perhaps ultimately connected with Proto-Germanic *bangilaz. Compare Dutch bengel, German Bengel.

Noun

bangle (plural bangles)

1. (dialectal) The cut branch of a tree; a large, rough stick; the largest piece of wood in a bundle of twigs

Anagrams

• Bangel, Bengal