bodice

noun

bod·​ice ˈbä-dəs 

1

: the upper part of a woman's dress

2

archaic : corset, stays

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The Fashionable History of Bodice

The term bodice is derived from body. One sense of the word body is “the part of a garment covering the body or trunk.” In the 17th and 18th centuries a woman’s corset was often called a “pair of bodies.” The plural bodies, or bodice, was eventually interpreted as a singular. Bodice is now most often used to refer to the upper part of a woman’s dress.

Learn more about bodice history

Examples of bodice in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Designed by creative director Daniel Roseberry, the velvet gown featured a strapless bodice with an organic neckline and a peplum waist, which created a dramatic silhouette. —Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 16 Mar. 2026

To accessorize her custom Givenchy by Sarah Burton gown — which featured a wisteria embroidery on its bodice and hemline — Fanning discovered that a Cartier necklace from 1903 likewise was crafted to resemble wisteria leaves. —Laurie Brookins, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026

Taylor’s black-and-white gown played with opacity, transitioning from a sheer bodice to a tiered, dramatic skirt of plumes; Kidman’s peach peplum waist and skirt hem were both delicately adorned with feathers, giving her an ethereal glow. —Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 16 Mar. 2026

For the occasion, my mother had put on her Balenciaga, a black dress with two wide shoulder straps, a firm bodice, a full skirt that ended a few inches above the ankles, and the illusion of an underskirt supplied by a band of taffeta ruffles, also black, that peeked out from beneath the hem. —Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of bodies, plural of body entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing bodice

• bodice ripper

Rhymes for bodice

• addis
• goddess

Kids Definition

bodice

noun

bod·​ice ˈbäd-əs 

: the upper part of a dress