stomacher

American  

[stuhm-uh-ker] / ˈstʌm ə kər /

noun

1. a richly ornamented garment covering the stomach and chest, worn in the 15th and 16th centuries, and later worn under a bodice by women.

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stomacher British  

/ ˈstʌməkə /

noun

1. a decorative V-shaped panel of stiff material worn over the chest and stomach by men and women in the 16th century, later only by women

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Etymology

Origin of stomacher

A late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; stomach, -er ¹

Example Sentences

There’s the feather-bedecked cavalier hat, the skull mask, the beads, rubies, buttons, trim and sofa’s worth of tassels that pull together the stomacher, a Renaissance-era decorated panel.

From New York Times

A stomacher — “that triangular bit” in the front, a trademark of the period — then hooks or pins on, holding it all in place.

From Seattle Times

She hugged herself, her arms wrapped hard around her stomacher.

From Literature

Attached to her bodice and pressed against her bosom she wore a stomacher she had embroidered all over with ivy and butterflies.

From Literature

Prices in the collection range from about $1,500 for a pair of cuff links to almost $3 million for a 1905 Cartier diamond stomacher bow-brooch, unusually large at 10 inches wide.

From New York Times