waist

noun

\ ˈwāst

Definition of waist

1a : the typically narrowed part of the body between the hips and chest or upper back put his arm around her waist

b : the greatly constricted basal part of the abdomen of some insects (such as wasps and flies)

2 : the part of something corresponding to or resembling the human waist: such as

a(1) : the part of a ship's deck between the poop and forecastle

(2) : the middle part of a sailing ship between foremast and mainmast

b : the middle section of the fuselage of an airplane

3 : a garment or the part of a garment covering the body from the neck to the waistline or just below:

a : bodice sense 1

b : blouse

4 : waistline sense 1b

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Examples of waist in a Sentence

He has a narrow waist and broad shoulders. He put his arm around her waist. These pants have an elastic waist. The waist of this skirt is too tight.

Recent Examples on the Web

Just stand and face each other with one partner’s hands on the other’s waist and the other partner’s hands around the other’s neck. — Jasmine Gomez, Seventeen, "17 Kissing Positions You Should Try During Your Next Makeout Session," 9 Apr. 2019 Photo by Victor Demarchelier/Jose Lopez; Marc Jacobs top, pants, waist tie, socks, and shoes. — Harper's BAZAAR, "Daniel Humm & Givenchy," 9 Apr. 2019 There’s a smart cane that clips on to a traditional cane and enables users to not just feel what’s on the ground in front of them but to identify objects above the waist. — Caren Chesler, Popular Mechanics, "A Vision Quest," 6 Mar. 2019 Since Eugenie has a curvier figure, Polk suspects that her dress will be structured and accentuate her waist and bust. — Nadra Nittle, Vox, "There’s another royal wedding coming up: Princess Eugenie’s," 5 Oct. 2018 Why Harry was only shown dancing from the waist up in the Yule Ball scene might surprise you. — Noelle Devoe, Seventeen, "33 Mind-Blowing "Harry Potter" Movie Facts That'll Make You Want to Watch Them All Over Again," 31 Jan. 2019 On those 100-degree days, nothing beats a waist-high wade into the river. — Jordan Rodriguez, idahostatesman, "How to beat the heat on your fishing trips in Idaho’s summer sun," 12 July 2018 Gray got ahead of Devers 1-2 but floated a waist-high curveball that Devers lofted just over the left-field wall. — Jake Seiner, courant.com, "Sale Pitches Gem, Devers Slams Gray As Sox Whip Yankees," 30 June 2018 The barrier on the side of the causeway, the southernmost stretch of Interstate 45, is about waist-high. — Matthew Martinez, star-telegram, "He fell 40 feet from a bridge taking a selfie. Then Texas cops found the warrant," 20 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'waist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.