brassiere
Americannoun
-
brassieres
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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
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 odd couple,” he barks, lifting up a brassiere fashioned so that one cup is larger than the other.
From New York Times ● Jun. 19, 2024
Only when DNA technology advanced to the point where a complete genetic profile could be developed from evidence gleaned from the girl’s brassiere could a solid link be made, Detective Leah Wagner said.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 22, 2020
“Help transcribe some of the company’s historical records, including advertisements and reports, to learn more about the history of the brassiere industry and female-centered marketing campaigns.”
From Washington Post ● May 18, 2020
And yet he is very much alive when I meet him at a crowded ancient brassiere called the Cafe de la Concorde for lunch in the heart of Toulouse.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2018
On the streetcar going back, I read the advertisements: a beer, a chocolate bar, a brassiere turning into a bird.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
The exhibition traces the history of brassieres, from their development as "bust supporters" in the 1860s through their wide adoption in the early 20th century to the introduction of Lycra in the late 1950s.
From US News ● Apr. 13, 2016
They didn’t know how deep it would get or what they might encounter, so they tucked their IDs into their brassieres in case their bodies had to be identified.
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2015
And before turning to e-cigarettes in 2006, the founders of First Union made silica gel brassieres and weight loss belts.
From New York Times ● Dec. 13, 2014
But brassieres aren’t designed for us—they get loose.
From The New Yorker ● Oct. 21, 2013
Back in Georgia when my classmates started turning up in training brassieres, one after another, like it was a catching disease, I bobbed off my hair and vowed to remain a tomboy.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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