bikini

1 of 2

noun (1)

bi·​ki·​ni bə-ˈkē-nē 

plural bikinis

1

a

: a two-piece bathing suit worn by women that does not cover the midriff see also string bikini, tankini

b

: a short snug swimsuit worn by men

2

: a pair of low-cut briefs (see brief entry 2 sense 4)

Launched in May, the underwear brand for men and women includes bikinis, … G-strings and boxer briefs.

—Phyllis Furman

… ultra low-rise jeans with a built-in bikini or thong.

—Sunday Tribune (South Africa)

—often used before another noun

Bikini briefs are usually lower than the true waist, often at the hips.

—Clifford Pugh

bikinied adjective

or less commonly bikini'd

bə-ˈkē-nēd 

Bikinian

2 of 2

noun (2)

Bi·​ki·​ni·​an bə-ˈkē-nē-ən 

-nyən

plural -s

: a native of the Marshallese island Bikini

Did you know?

In July 1946, a US Army–Navy task force detonated two thermonuclear bombs at Bikini, an atoll in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and the event dominated news around the world. A French designer, Jacques Heim, used the occasion to introduce a skimpy two-piece bathing suit dubbed l’atome, “the atom.” Another designer, Louis Réard, followed it up with an even smaller suit for which he registered the name bikini. It was first modeled by dancer Micheline Bernardini at a Paris fashion show on July 5. There is no solid evidence for why he gave this name to the suit, but it has since become an international word.

Examples of bikini in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

On the catwalk, set up at the W South Beach hotel, Higgins modeled three different looks, including a pink bikini and Baywatch-red one-piece. —Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026

For swampy summer days, style your black Bermudas with a something airy; a bikini top works perfectly and nods at the swimwear-as-streetwear trend taking over every major city this summer. —India Roby, Glamour, 8 June 2026

Swimwear is also included, like a striped bikini or a varsity one-piece swimsuit, ideal for beach or pool days. —Claire Peltier, ABC News, 8 June 2026

The model has recently been making waves on social media for her bikini looks during a yacht trip in Saint-Tropez. —Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 6 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

French, from Bikini, atoll of the Marshall Islands

Noun (2)

Bikini + English -an

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing bikini

• bikini wax
• string bikini

Rhymes for bikini

• acini
• aldine
• amine
• arsine
• carinii
• cosine
• delphine
• domine
• latine
• ovine
• pennine
• porcine

Kids Definition

bikini

noun

bi·​ki·​ni bə-ˈkē-nē 

: a scanty two-piece bathing suit for a girl or woman

Etymology

Noun

from French bikini "two-piece bathing suit," from Bikini, atoll in the Marshall Islands

Geographical Definition

Bikini

geographical name

Bi·​ki·​ni bi-ˈkē-nē 

island (atoll) of the Marshall Islands

Note: Bikini was the site of U.S. atomic bomb tests in 1946 and hydrogen bomb tests in 1954 and 1956.

Bikinian

bi-ˈkē-nē-ən 

noun