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

As if the striking color wasn’t attention-grabbing enough, the sheer lace bodice certainly didn’t hurt. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 2 Jan. 2026

Those howls in the moors are literature fans fighting over whether this reimagining of Emily Brontë’s 1847 gothic romance will be confoundingly misguided or bodice-rippingly good. —Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026

The 56-year-old star contrasted the delicate netting with visible black boning on her bodice, giving the waist-cinching corset design some extra structure. —Lara Walsh, InStyle, 31 Dec. 2025

The dress, from the line’s Fall 2025 Couture collection, featured a white corset bodice. —Tara Larson, Footwear News, 21 Dec. 2025

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