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choli

American  
[choh-lee] / ˈtʃoʊ li /
Or cholee

noun

  1. a short-sleeved blouse or bodice, often one exposing part of the midriff, worn by women in the Indian subcontinent.


choli British  
/ ˈkəʊlɪ /

noun

  1. a short-sleeved bodice, as worn by Indian women

"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

Etymology

Origin of choli

First recorded in 1905–10, choli is from the Hindi word colī


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:

On a Saturday morning, a cluster of college-age women in sequined red-and-green ghagra choli jostle around a selfie stick in the parking lot.

From Slate ● Apr. 3, 2017

Vera Wang's India-inspired clothes were quiet, delicate and lovely, sometimes requiring a trained eye to notice Wang's nod to the Nehru collar or choli jacket.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 11, 2012

I put on my choli and my petticoat.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan

Women wear lugras, or a single long cloth of red, blue or black cotton, and under this the choli, or small breast-cloth.

From The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India - Volume IV of IV Kumhar-Yemkala by R. V. (Robert Vane) Russell

I was much struck with the immense variety of turban on the men, and the choli and headgear on the women.

From The Romance of Isabel Lady Burton Volume II by W. H. Wilkins

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