Archaic feminine form or variant of ceint; encircled or bound with a belt or sash.
From Old French 'ceinte,' feminine form of 'ceint,' relating to 'ceindre' (to gird), from Latin 'cingere.'
Medieval French used gender forms for adjectives, so 'ceinte' was the feminine version—when these words entered English heraldic terminology, the distinction eventually faded away!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.