brassiere

American  

[bruh-zeer] / brəˈzɪər /

Or brassière

noun

1. a woman's undergarment for supporting the breasts.

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brassiere British  

/ ˈbræsɪə, ˈbræz- /

noun

1. Often shortened to: bra.  a woman's undergarment for covering and supporting the breasts

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Etymology

Origin of brassiere

1910–15; < French brassière bodice worn as an undergarment to support the breasts (now obsolete in this sense), Middle French bracieres camisole, Old French: armor for the arms, equivalent to bras arm ( see brace) + -ière, suffix added to body part nouns, the resultant derivative denoting an article for that part < Latin -āria -ary

Example Sentences

Four prototypes of the bra, known as the Army Tactical Brassiere, are in development at the U.S.

From Washington Post • Aug. 11, 2022

The Corset & Brassiere Association asked that the wording of the law be brought up to date, asked for a duty of 60%.

From Time Magazine Archive

Clisson is about two leagues south of the town of Brassiere, in the province of Poitou, and is situated in the southern part of the Bocage.

From La Vendée by Trollope, Anthony