Definition of "girdler" [gir•dler]

• One that makes girdles. (noun)
• Any of several insects that chew circular bands around twigs or stems in preparing a nesting site. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• ""girdler," which meant that his duties consisted in riding through the forest area allotted to him, selecting and girdling those trees which, three years later, would be cut down."
• "The mesquite girdler does this by regulating the growth of the mesquite shrub, ensuring their offspring have a plentiful supply of food."
• "The mesquite girdler Oncideres rhodosticta may only be 13mm long, but it has a big role in shaping the landscape."