bikini

noun

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 

Examples of bikini in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In it, two women sit on the sunlit balcony of a house; the older one reads, while the younger one rests atop the railing in a bikini. —Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025

The photos showed a shirtless David sporting blue swim trunks as the Spice Girls star looked elegant in a black lace and satin cover-up over her black bikini. —Becca Longmire, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas' daughter is flaunting her bikini body on Instagram. —Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2025

In new photos from a Beckham family yacht trip off the coast of Italy, Victoria seemed to shirk traditional bathing suit cover ups in favor of wearing sheer, lacy lingerie over her black bikini during a family yacht trip off the coast Italy. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 23 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, from Bikini, atoll of the Marshall Islands

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing bikini

• bikini wax
• string bikini

Rhymes for bikini

• acini
• aldine
• arsine
• carinii
• cosine
• delphine
• domine
• latine
• leucine
• 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

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