tank top

American

noun

a close-fitting, low-cut top having shoulder straps and often made of lightweight, knitted fabric.

tank top British

noun

a sleeveless upper garment with wide shoulder straps and a low neck, usually worn over a shirt, blouse, or jumper

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

tank tops

plural

Etymology

Origin of tank top

First recorded in 1945–50

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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.

It came 26 years after Madonna wore a bedazzled "Kylie Minogue" tank top at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Sweden: A gesture of solidarity that took the Aussie pop star by surprise.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026

Browne, 29, has tickets to a spring music festival in Washington and has already picked out a tank top shaped like a butterfly for the event.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

It released an image of the actress wearing the fictional archaeologist's green tank top and brown shorts - a look inspired by the character's appearance in the classic Lara Croft games on the original PlayStation.

From BBC • Jan. 15, 2026

Varda is a scruffy-haired kid in a tank top.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2025

I held on to his tank top while I watched the rest of the play.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023