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

Example Sentences

Cizeron wore a black jumpsuit, while Fournier Beaudry was decked out in a pink corset reminiscent of Madonna's conical, Jean-Paul Gaultier-style bra.

From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026

One final tightening of the corset, a sharp intake of breath and we're good to go.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

A few years ago, we took an art class together where she created an entire corset dress to simply use as a canvas.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 8, 2025

The singer also sports a pink fuzzy hat and white corset to inhabit the actor's 1999 VMAs appearance.

From Salon • Nov. 5, 2024

In the lifeboat, the corset absorbed all available moonlight, with the odd result that Desdemona’s face, head, and arms disappeared.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• bodice
• underwear