armhole

American  

[ahrm-hohl] / ˈɑrmˌhoʊl /

noun

1. an opening in a garment, under the shoulder, through which the hand, and then the arm, passes.

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armhole British  

/ ˈɑːmˌhəʊl /

noun

1. the opening in an article of clothing through which the arm passes and to which a sleeve is often fitted

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Etymology

Origin of armhole

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English arm-hol armpit; arm ¹, hole

Example Sentences

"You have to go back, sometimes to the very start. I had to go back and restart Brendan Gleeson's from the armhole."

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2023

It’s the lower armhole, it’s like it lifts the whole suit.

From Slate • Jan. 2, 2018

Look for a slightly lower armhole and less of a contour around the midsection, which will give you a wider range of motion without bursting your seams.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2015

How about that Comme des Gar�ons dress�is that the armhole or the neckband, and where does all that damned draping go?

From Time Magazine Archive

But I pressed on, absorbed by the tiny squares in the weave, the straight, even stitches that held the seams in place, the way the armhole curved into the shoulder.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago