waist

American  

[wayst] / weɪst /

noun

• waists
  plural

1. the part of the body in humans between the ribs and the hips, usually the narrowest part of the torso.

2. the part of a garment covering this part of the body.

3. blouse.

4. 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.

5. a child's undergarment to which other articles of apparel may be attached.

6. 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.

7. Nautical. the central part of a ship; that part of the deck between the forecastle and the quarterdeck.

8. the constricted portion of the abdomen of certain insects, as a wasp.

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waist British  

/ weɪst /

noun

1. anatomy the constricted part of the trunk between the ribs and hips

2. the part of a garment covering the waist

3. the middle part of an object that resembles the waist in narrowness or position

4. the middle part of a ship

5. Also called: centre section. the middle section of an aircraft fuselage

6. the constriction between the thorax and abdomen in wasps and similar insects

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• waistless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• waists
  plural

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

See Examples For:

waist waists

He has since taken to stripping to the waist for social-media videos of himself at the gym pounding a treadmill and doing squats.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026

"The water keeps coming in. It's hard to go out now. It's like at my waist level now," said Somkid Pheuk-ngam, 67, a vendor who lives near a canal just north of central Bangkok.

From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026

I stood like that, bent at the waist, for what felt like hours.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

Paphos district court was told in July that the boy fell through an open window when his father was holding him around his waist and swinging him from side to side.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Nim remembered the scene in Mountain Madness where the hero was snagged by the rope around his waist as he climbed down a cliff.

From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr

Participants were handed a faixa—a long sash to wrap around their waists to protect their spines and give climbers a toehold.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026

Other noteworthy pieces included dresses with spherical birdcage-inspired silhouettes, while other models wore transparent vest tops with their dresses gathered around their waists.

From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026

Indeed, the collection taps into 1950s-era silhouettes and trends: slim pencil skirts, double-breasted jackets and nipped-in waists.

From Salon ● Nov. 9, 2025

The bumps push out candy-striped and aproned gowns; they are exaggerated by belted waists, and one particularly protuberant tummy doubles as a perch for a parakeet.

From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2025

Raesa and Tulan, like Pol, had quivers strapped to their backs and hunting knives at their waists; they carried their bows and moved with a stealth that Kaede knew she could not match.

From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo

Related Words

• midriff
• waistline