waist

[ weyst ]
See synonyms for waist on Thesaurus.com
noun
  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.

  1. 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.

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

  3. 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.

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

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

Origin of waist

1
1300–50; Middle English wast, apocopated variant of wastum,Old English wæstm growth, form, figure; akin to wax2

Other words from waist

  • waistless, adjective

Words that may be confused with waist

Words Nearby waist

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use waist in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for waist

waist

/ (weɪst) /


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

  2. the part of a garment covering the waist

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

  2. the middle part of a ship

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

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

Origin of waist

1
C14: origin uncertain; related to Old English wæstm wax ²

Derived forms of waist

  • waistless, adjective

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