corset

American  

[kawr-sit] / ˈkɔr sɪt /

noun

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.

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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

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

• corsetless
  adjective
• uncorseted
  adjective
• well-corseted
  adjective

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

This spring and summer, “Fashion in the 18th Century: A Fantasized Legacy” features original pieces like Marie Antoinette’s corset, while tracking the period’s impact on later designers such as Christian Dior and Vivienne Westwood.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 10, 2026

Madonna revealed Monday on social media that the purple jacket, corset and dress she wore Friday during a surprise performance with Sabrina Carpenter at Coachella are missing.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

"I discovered that the vintage pieces that I wore went missing -- my costume that was pulled from my personal archives -- jacket, corset, dress and other garments," the diva wrote.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

Among them were the purple jacket, corset and dress she wore during her surprise guest appearance with Sabrina Carpenter at the California event on Friday night.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

It was hard to breathe with the corset crushing her ribs.

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

Related Words

• bodice
• underwear