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Synonyms

corset

American  
[kawr-sit] / ˈkɔr sɪt /

noun

  1. Sometimes corsets. a close-fitting undergarment, stiffened with whalebone or similar material and often capable of being tightened by lacing, enclosing the trunk: worn, especially by women, to shape and support the body; stays.

verb (used with object)

  1. to dress or furnish with or as if with a corset.

  2. to regulate strictly; constrict.

corset British  
/ ˈkɔːsɪt /

noun

    1. a stiffened, elasticated, or laced foundation garment, worn esp by women, that usually extends from below the chest to the hips, providing support for the spine and stomach and shaping the figure

    2. a similar garment worn because of injury, weakness, etc, by either sex

  2. informal a restriction or limitation, esp government control of bank lending

  3. a stiffened outer bodice worn by either sex, esp in the 16th century

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to dress or enclose in, or as in, a corset

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • corsetless adjective
  • uncorseted adjective
  • well-corseted adjective

Etymology

Origin of corset

1225–75; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French, equivalent to cors bodice, body + -et -et

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Cizeron wore a black jumpsuit, while Fournier Beaudry was decked out in a pink corset reminiscent of Madonna's conical, Jean-Paul Gaultier-style bra.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

From her Swarovski-adorned custom Armani Privé strapless gown at the Golden Globe Awards to her lace-up navy Schiaparelli corset dress at the Critics Choice Awards, Moore has ruled awards season thus far.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2025

The singer also sports a pink fuzzy hat and white corset to inhabit the actor's 1999 VMAs appearance.

From Salon • Nov. 5, 2024

There is Karl self-medicating with chocolate, strapping himself into a corset and dancing alone in his room rather than braving the possibility of rejection.

From New York Times • Jun. 19, 2024

Aunt Docia pulled as hard as she could on Aunt Ruby’s corset strings, and then Aunt Docia hung on to the foot of the bed while Aunt Ruby pulled on hers.

From "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.