midriff

noun

mid·​riff ˈmi-ˌdrif How to pronounce midriff (audio)
plural midriffs
1
: the mid-region of the human torso : midsection
2
a
: a section of a garment that covers the midriff
b
: a garment that exposes the midriff
3

Did you know?

Midriff is now most commonly encountered in the mid-torso or clothing-related senses. These senses are relatively young, having appeared, respectively, in the early 19th and mid-20th centuries. For most of its history, however, midriff has been used to refer to the diaphragm (a large flat muscle separating the lungs from the stomach area). The diaphragm sense has been with us for more than 1,000 years, with the earliest known uses being found in Old English manuscripts such as Bald's Leechbook, a medical text that is believed to date back to the 9th century. The riff in midriff comes from Old English hrif ("belly, womb"). Hrif is akin to Old High German href ("womb") and probably also to Latin corpus ("body").

Examples of midriff in a Sentence

She wore a skimpy outfit that showed her bare midriff. midriff-baring tops are popular this summer
Recent Examples on the Web As the millennium neared, and through the early 2000s, volume diminished along the leg in stages: Rises dropped, exposing hip bones and midriffs, and silhouettes slimmed at the thigh. Jonah Weiner, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024 The Bottega Veneta Fall-Winter 2023 runway look was customized for the starlet with a chic midriff slash — continuing Zendaya’s growing trend of ab-framing outfits — and a full-length hemline. Leah Dolan, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024 Starr had a ball on the carpet in her two-piece midriff look, fluttering her flowy skirt for the cameras. Leanne Italie, Twin Cities, 4 Feb. 2024 Floral appliques accentuated the bust and the midriff portion of the piece styled by Thomas Christos her longtime stylist. Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 30 Oct. 2023 At the event, the actress stepped out in a sleeveless bronze sequin Michael Kors gown with a front center cutout and a crisscross neckline that bared her toned midriff. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 16 Jan. 2024 Someone is struck by a vehicle, and another person is randomly seen in a medical tent with an object sticking out of a bloody wound in their midriff — both of these incidents are played for laughs. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023 The mammoth, naked from the midriff up, looked as though he were headed to the pool. Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2023 This denim cutout top has a button at the collar that then slopes down to bare the midriff with a metal hardware charm, and an unexpected waist strap. Minna Shim, Harper's BAZAAR, 14 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'midriff.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mydref, mydrif "diaphragm, omentum," going back to Old English midhrif, from mid- mid entry 1 + hrif "belly, womb," going back to Germanic *hrifiz- (whence also Old Frisian midrif "diaphragm," Old Saxon inhrif "innards," Old High German href, ref "womb"), going back to *krep-es-, *krep-os-, full-grade derivative of Indo-European *kr̥p- "body, form," whence also Latin corpor-, corpus "body" (from *kr̥p-os-), Middle Irish crí, Sanskrit kr̥p- "shape, appearance," Avestan kəhrp

Note: The base may be *ḱr̥p- with a palatovelar if it is assumed that Indo-Iranian palatovelars lost their palatal quality before r. Earlier reconstructed with initial *kw- on the basis of Greek prapídes "midriff," but it has been claimed that Greek regularly dissimilated *kw-p- to *k-p-; also a labiovelar would probably not result in a front vowel in Irish crí.

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of midriff was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Midriff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/midriff. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

midriff

noun
mid·​riff ˈmid-ˌrif How to pronounce midriff (audio)
: the middle region of the human body

Medical Definition

midriff

noun
mid·​riff ˈmid-ˌrif How to pronounce midriff (audio)
1
2
: the mid-region of the human torso

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