A principal or chief band, as in a musical group or a strip of material.
From arch- (chief, principal) + band (from Old High German binda, meaning 'something that binds'). The term could refer either to a premier musical ensemble or to a primary decorative band in architecture. Medieval texts used it for both applications.
In medieval manuscripts, an 'archband' could be either the king's favorite orchestra OR a thick decorative stripe on a cathedral wall—context was everything! It shows how the same word could rank importance in completely different domains.
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