corset

American  

[kawr-sit] / ˈkɔr sɪt /

noun

• corsets
  plural

1. Sometimes corsets. a close-fitting undergarment, stiffened with whalebone or similar material and often capable of being tightened by lacing, enclosing the trunk: worn, especially by women, to shape and support the body; stays.

---

verb (used with object)

1. to dress or furnish with or as if with a corset.

2. to regulate strictly; constrict.

corset British  

/ ˈkɔːsɪt /

noun

1. 1. a stiffened, elasticated, or laced foundation garment, worn esp by women, that usually extends from below the chest to the hips, providing support for the spine and stomach and shaping the figure

   2. a similar garment worn because of injury, weakness, etc, by either sex

2. informal a restriction or limitation, esp government control of bank lending

3. a stiffened outer bodice worn by either sex, esp in the 16th century

---

verb

1. (tr) to dress or enclose in, or as in, a corset

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• corsetless
  adjective
• uncorseted
  adjective
• well-corseted
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• corsets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of corset

1225–75; Middle English < Anglo-French, Old French, equivalent to cors bodice, body + -et -et

Explanation

A corset is a fitted garment with stiff supports that cinch in the waist of the person who's wearing it. Corsets can be worn for back support, but women used to wear them to look skinny in their dresses. Historians believe that corsets have been around for more than three hundred years. As fashion has changed over time, the shape and construction of corsets has also changed — today, while corsets are mainly worn as costumes or for medical reasons, many women still wear "foundation garments," which differ from corsets only in material — the modern version is made of stretchy fabric rather than stiff bones or metal. Corset is an Old French word, from cors, or "body."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

corset corsets

Every star who has taken up the character’s corset and garters since has followed his lead.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

If you asked a woman in the early 20th century to play tennis, she’d put on a full-length skirt, corset, blouson-sleeved shirt and wide-brimmed hat and tell you she’s ready.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

"A corset wouldn't shock me. She loves a corset."

From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026

I did a movie with her, and I put my arm around her — it was like a metal corset.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 30, 2026

“It’s isn’t a full corset; it’s a half corset. It’s the newest style. Besides Jane, the day I cannot take down a few shamblers wearing something fashionable is the day I turn in my rifle.”

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

Women have been shedding clothes for over a century, starting with the corsets and structured undergarments of the Victorian era.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

This is despite many designers adopting looks that naturally create curvy silhouettes, such as corsets.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2025

A section backstage is filled with racks of elaborate early 19th century gowns, jackets, trousers, corsets, petticoats, socks, shoes, hats, suits and more.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2025

Their corsets are hand-stoned and their wings are finely sewn; a single rip will take days to fix.

From Salon ● Jan. 8, 2025

Nobody was certain how many rooms Major de Coverley had rented, not even the stout black-bodiced woman in corsets on the first floor from whom he had rented them.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Related Words

• bodice
• underwear