bikini
noun
a very brief, close-fitting, two-piece bathing suit for women or girls.
bikini
1 American
[bih-kee-nee]
/ bɪˈki ni /
noun
-
bikinis
plural
-
a very brief, close-fitting, two-piece bathing suit for women or girls.
-
a very brief, close-fitting pair of bathing trunks for men or boys.
-
Often bikinis. underwear briefs that are fitted low on the hip or below it.
Bikini
2
American
[bih-kee-nee]
/ bɪˈki ni /
noun
Bikini
1
British
/ bɪˈkiːnɪ /
noun
bikini
2
British
/ bɪˈkiːnɪ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bikini
1945–50; < French, apparently named after Bikini
Explanation
A bikini is a two-piece women's bathing suit. Bikinis are usually skimpy, and a particularly small one inspired a song from 1960 called "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.” We don't normally associate atomic bomb tests with cute bathing suits, but this one's an exception. The bikini is named after the Pacific atoll of the same name, where an atomic bomb was exploded in 1946. The reason a tiny bathing suit is named after a tiny island isn’t clear. Although a bikini isn't as explosive as a bomb, it is likely to be worn by a bombshell.
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.
See Examples For:
The row started earlier on Tuesday after actor and BJP MP Kangana Ranaut called the ad "intentionally creepy" and asked why someone would tie a Rakhi dressed in a bikini.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
WSJ | Buy Side: Whether you prefer a one-piece or a classic string bikini, these stylist-approved women’s swimsuits are flattering and functional.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Here you can swim some of the finest beaches Orange County has to offer, so pack your bikini and swim trunks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2024
Or after a long day of surfboarding in your favorite pink bikini!
From Salon ● Dec. 2, 2023
The Daily Mail, predictably, has managed to find pictures of Megan in her bikini, but they’ve also done the most detailed profile I’ve seen of her so far.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
Hughes pointed to the impact of the United States' 15-megaton Bravo test at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands on March 1, 1954 -- "equivalent to 1,000 Hiroshima bombs -- an absolute monstrosity".
From Barron's ● Jan. 22, 2026
For years, historians followed the bomb’s echoes through the Cold War: Bikini Atoll and nuclear bunkers, Strangelove and SALT, détente and Defcon, Star Wars and saber rattling, to hit a few low points.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
Two weeks after Sobhraj's jailbreak, Mr Zende was summoned by his boss – "he remembered that I had caught the Bikini killer once" - and asked to hunt for him again.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2025
The world of Bikini Bottom was introduced in May 1999, and the show began a full run two months later.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2025
To the west, about eighty miles, was Bikini Atoll, a group of small coral islands.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
For this global tournament, the Santa Ana local has handcrafted dresses, halter tops, bikinis and mini balloon skirts for select countries including Mexico, Colombia, Italy, Spain, Brazil and Argentina.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
"We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis," X's safety team said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Jan. 14, 2026
On travel forums, tourists are encouraged to ditch bikinis and hot pants for more modest attire.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2025
On Instagram, where she posts photos of herself in expensive clothes at glamorous weddings and in bikinis on luxurious international vacations, she has more than 20,000 followers.
From Slate ● May 13, 2024
Julie learned about television, sports cars, blue jeans, bikinis, hero sandwiches, and wall-to-wall carpeting in the high school Amy would soon be attending.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
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.
