waist — ODE · Shobdo

waist /weɪst

▸ noun

1 the part of the human body below the ribs and above the hips, often narrower than the areas above and below:

he put an arm around her waist

the last time you had a waist was around 1978.

▪ the circumference of a person's waist:

her waist has reduced from 35 to 28 inches.

▪ the part of a garment around or covering the waist:

trousers with an elasticated waist.

▪ the point at which a garment is shaped so as to narrow between the ribcage and the hips:

a jacket with a high waist.

2 a narrow part in the middle of something, such as a violin or hourglass.

▪ the middle part of a ship, between the forecastle and the quarterdeck.

3 US English a blouse or bodice.

– DERIVATIVES

waisted /ˈweɪstɪd

/ adjective

[in combination] high-waisted.

waistless adjective

– ORIGIN late Middle English: apparently representing an Old English word from the Germanic root of wax2.