waist
Americannoun
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the part of the body in humans between the ribs and the hips, usually the narrowest part of the torso.
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the part of a garment covering this part of the body.
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the part of a one-piece garment covering the body from the neck or shoulders more or less to the waistline, especially this part of a woman's or child's garment.
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a child's undergarment to which other articles of apparel may be attached.
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the part of an object, especially a central or middle part, that resembles or is analogous to the human waist.
the waist of a violin.
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Nautical. the central part of a ship; that part of the deck between the forecastle and the quarterdeck.
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the constricted portion of the abdomen of certain insects, as a wasp.
noun
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anatomy the constricted part of the trunk between the ribs and hips
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the part of a garment covering the waist
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the middle part of an object that resembles the waist in narrowness or position
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the middle part of a ship
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Also called: centre section. the middle section of an aircraft fuselage
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the constriction between the thorax and abdomen in wasps and similar insects
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of waist
1300–50; Middle English wast, apocopated variant of wastum, Old English wæstm growth, form, figure; akin to wax 2
Explanation
On a human, the waist is the narrowing between the ribs and the hips –- though for many of us, "narrowing" may actually be "expanding." Waist can also refer to the part of a piece of clothing that covers the waist — like the waist (or waistline) of a dress or a jacket. Most likely you know these most common definitions of waist, but did you know that a waist can also be the narrow part of a shoe, or of a violin? Don’t confuse the definition of waist with waste, though the words have the same pronunciation.
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.
A gun was holstered by the man’s waist, positioned at the front of his body and easily visible.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2026
Their collective body heat raises the cave’s temperature to a sweltering 106°F, and the piles of guano beneath them are deep enough to bury the Statue of Liberty to her waist.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
An upside-down OK signal is made with the hand below the waist.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
Listening to “The Boutique,” I feel like I should be smoking a cigarette and drinking the dirtiest martini known to man in a speakeasy, wearing a drop waist silk dress and bright red lipstick.
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026
His hands were on my waist —steadying me—and then they weren’t.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
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.
