cummerbund
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of cummerbund
1610–20; < Hindi kamarband loin-band < Persian
Explanation
A cummerbund is a sash that is part of a tuxedo. The cummerbund is worn around the waist, and its color usually matches the color of one's tie. You might never see one again after your prom. If you’ve ever worn or seen a tuxedo, you’ve probably noticed the jacket, tie, and some other material around the waist area: that’s the cummerbund. A cummerbund is a type of sash that's broad and pleated. Some sashes are worn over the shoulder, but a cummerbund goes around the waist. Though cummerbunds are now associated with higher classes of people, they were originally worn by less privileged classes in India. The word is from the Hindi for "waistband."
Vocabulary lists containing cummerbund
English Words Derived from Hindi
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On Trend: Fashionable Words
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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.
“What?” replied the man, who was wearing a Brion Tuxedo with a claret-colored cummerbund.
From Salon ● May 22, 2026
A black scarf that gripped the neck like a hand tugged down the shoulder, complementing a black space age fanny pack that evoked a cummerbund.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 28, 2023
The ultralight item wraps around the handle of a rolling bag like a cummerbund, and the Velcro closure prevents jiggling and spills as you race to your gate.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 19, 2020
Allover sparkle is a red-carpet staple, and these were Sunday night’s best entries in the genre: Gugu Mbatha-Raw was statuesque in chartreuse and a strange-in-a-good-way double-breasted cummerbund.
From Slate ● Jan. 5, 2020
Mirren will never have a wedding with yellow roses or a groom who loves her enough to wear a stupid yellow cummerbund.
From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
