waist

American  

[weyst] / weɪst /

noun

1. the part of the body in humans between the ribs and the hips, usually the narrowest part of the torso.

2. the part of a garment covering this part of the body.

3. blouse.

4. the part of a one-piece garment covering the body from the neck or shoulders more or less to the waistline, especially this part of a woman's or child's garment.

5. a child's undergarment to which other articles of apparel may be attached.

6. the part of an object, especially a central or middle part, that resembles or is analogous to the human waist.

   the waist of a violin.

7. Nautical. the central part of a ship; that part of the deck between the forecastle and the quarterdeck.

8. the constricted portion of the abdomen of certain insects, as a wasp.

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waist British  

/ weɪst /

noun

1. anatomy the constricted part of the trunk between the ribs and hips

2. the part of a garment covering the waist

3. the middle part of an object that resembles the waist in narrowness or position

4. the middle part of a ship

5. Also called: centre section.  the middle section of an aircraft fuselage

6. the constriction between the thorax and abdomen in wasps and similar insects

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Other Word Forms

• waistless adjective

Etymology

Origin of waist

1300–50; Middle English wast, apocopated variant of wastum, Old English wæstm growth, form, figure; akin to wax ²

Example Sentences

Residents described water rising to waist level in just hours — overwhelming properties that had never flooded before and leaving behind a thick layer of mud and debris.

From Salon

The cuffs and waistbands that form a snug seal around a baby’s legs and waist are called the gasketing.

From The Wall Street Journal

"By monitoring waist size and inflammation, clinicians may be able to identify people with higher risk earlier and focus on prevention strategies that could reduce the chance of heart failure before symptoms begin."

From Science Daily

The show pairs the painting with a Kiki Smith sculpture, created over five decades later, that portrays the papery form of a woman from the waist down, her fetus dangling by an umbilical cord.

From The Wall Street Journal

I flattened it out as best I could, pushing it down, tugging the sweater around my waist, but there was no real concealing it beneath the thin cotton dress.

From Literature

Related Words

• midriff
• waistline