A belt, sash, or band worn around the waist; in fortification, a wall surrounding a town or castle.
From Old French 'ceinture,' from Latin 'cinctura' (a girding), derived from 'cingere' (to gird or encircle). The root 'cinct-' appears in many English words about surrounding.
This word reveals how medieval fortifications were named—'ceintures' were defensive walls that literally 'girdled' a city, holding it together and protecting it like a tight belt!
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