bosom
Americannoun
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the breast of a human being.
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the breasts of a woman.
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the part of a garment that covers the breast.
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the breast, conceived of as the center of feelings or emotions.
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something likened to the human breast.
the bosom of the earth.
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a state of enclosing intimacy; warm closeness.
the bosom of the family.
adjective
verb (used with object)
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to take to the bosom; embrace; cherish.
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to hide from view; conceal.
noun
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the chest or breast of a person, esp the female breasts
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the part of a woman's dress, coat, etc, that covers the chest
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a protective centre or part
the bosom of the family
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the breast considered as the seat of emotions
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(modifier) very dear; intimate
a bosom friend
verb
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to embrace
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to conceal or carry in the bosom
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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."
Vocabulary lists containing bosom
"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 1
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Selection Vocabulary 1, Unit 4
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Selection Vocabulary 4, Unit 4
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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.
Hanks choked back tears after re-watching a clip from "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
I’ve been babysitting kids on video since Bosom Buddies.
From Time • Oct. 6, 2015
Whenever I move—seek to move without Palsy—I curse him who hath brought me low & for he was a Betrayer, an Adder I nursed in my Bosom.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
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.
