bosom

American  

[booz-uhm, boo-zuhm] / ˈbʊz əm, ˈbu zəm /

noun

1. the breast of a human being.

2. the breasts of a woman.

3. the part of a garment that covers the breast.

4. the breast, conceived of as the center of feelings or emotions.

   Synonyms:

   affection, heart

5. something likened to the human breast.

   the bosom of the earth.

6. a state of enclosing intimacy; warm closeness.

   the bosom of the family.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or worn on or over the bosom.

2. intimate or confidential.

   a bosom friend.

   Synonyms:

   dear, intimate, close

verb (used with object)

1. to take to the bosom; embrace; cherish.

2. to hide from view; conceal.

bosom British  

/ ˈbʊzəm /

noun

1. the chest or breast of a person, esp the female breasts

2. the part of a woman's dress, coat, etc, that covers the chest

3. a protective centre or part

   the bosom of the family

4. the breast considered as the seat of emotions

5. (modifier) very dear; intimate

   a bosom friend

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verb

1. to embrace

2. to conceal or carry in the bosom

Etymology

Origin of bosom

before 1000; Middle English; Old English bōs ( u ) m; cognate with Dutch boesem, German Busen

Explanation

The bosom is the breast or chest area of the body. It is also poetically considered to be the place where our feelings reside. Used as a verb or noun, bosom originates from the Old English word bosm, meaning "breast, womb, surface, or ship's hold." It is commonly used as a polite reference to a woman's breasts. Because our bosom (chest) contains our heart, it has also become known as the place where our feelings, intuitions, or secret thoughts are kept. Close friends are sometimes called "bosom buddies."

Example Sentences

Scolari, who made his mark on both television and the stage, found fame in the popular, but short-lived "Bosom Buddies."

From Fox News • Nov. 3, 2021

In 1981, when she was 25, she appeared on Bosom Buddies, a sitcom that barely lasted two seasons but launched the career of Hanks.

From The Guardian • Apr. 17, 2020

The couple met on the set of his sitcom Bosom Buddies and got married in 1988.

From BBC • Sep. 21, 2016

Before Tom Hanks was Oscar-winner Tom Hanks, he was just an up-and-coming actor in a new sitcom called Bosom Buddies.

From Time • Sep. 9, 2016

Brother Belie Jones didn’t give any eulogy, but he asked God to comfort the young widow and raise the baby in the Bosom of the Lamb, and then he read Scriptures for an hour.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns