corset
[ kawr-sit ]
/ ˈkɔr sɪt /
noun
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)
to dress or furnish with or as if with a corset.
to regulate strictly; constrict.
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Nearby words
Origin of corset
Related formscor·set·less, adjectiveun·cor·set·ed, adjectivewell-cor·set·ed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for corset
British Dictionary definitions for corset
corset
/ (ˈkɔːsɪt) /
noun
- 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
- a similar garment worn because of injury, weakness, etc, by either sex
informal a restriction or limitation, esp government control of bank lending
a stiffened outer bodice worn by either sex, esp in the 16th century
verb
(tr) to dress or enclose in, or as in, a corset
Word Origin for corset
C14: from Old French, literally: a little bodice; see corselet
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for corset
corset
c.1300, "kind of laced bodice," from Old French corset (13c.) "bodice, tunic," diminutive of cors "body" (see corps). Meaning "stiff supporting and constricting undergarment" is from 1795.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper