waist

play

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 waistb : 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 asa (1) : the part of a ship's deck between the poop and forecastle (2) : the middle part of a sailing ship between foremast and mainmastb : 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 1b : blouse
4 : waistline 1b

waisted

play \ˈwā-stəd\ adjective

See waist defined for English-language learners

See waist defined for kids

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 of waist from the Web

Ribbons were tied around the midriff, and tassels hung off waist-binding belts.

— Bloomberg.com, "Chanel Aims High With Starry 'Eiffel Tower' Paris Show", 4 July 2017
The Dion Lee piece commands attention against her black shorts and strappy sandals, and the tie at the waist hangs down past her knees.

— suzannah weiss, Teen Vogue, "Kendall Jenner Wears Long Yellow Sweater in Paris", 4 July 2017
Louis Holmes' tomato plants are as tall as his waist, with crisscrossing white strings holding them up to full height.

— bailey loosemore, The Courier-Journal, "Can food help reconnect a racially divided Louisville?", 27 June 2017
The man was about 5-feet, 3-inches tall with a 32-inch waist, officials said.

— erin gallagher, Daily Southtown, "Man found in ditch was 'badly decomposed,' died from gunshot wounds, Will County coroner says", 22 June 2017
Nylon jumpsuits defined the Prada silhouette, belted at the waist and gathered at the ankles and cuffs with plastic Prada labels.

— colleen barry, The Seattle Times, "Prada takes inspiration from graphic novels for Milan show", 18 June 2017
Some golfers believe the waist-high fescue growing outside the primary rough at Erin Hills Golf Course in Erin, Wis., is too tall.

— jimmy burch, star-telegram.com, "Course conditions dominate U.S. Open talk", 14 June 2017
What’s obscured—a guilty-pleasure drawstring waist—is the secret to the shorts’ success.

— jacob gallagher, WSJ, "The New Men’s Shorts: No One Will Know How Comfortable They Are", 13 June 2017
Sabre scores from the waist up, and sabre hits with the edges.

— bob sansevere, Twin Cities, "Minnesota ‘outsider’ has become fencing hall of famer", 9 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of waist

Middle English wast; probably akin to Old English wæstm growth, weaxan to grow — more at wax

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First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

Other Clothing Terms

babushka, brogue, bumbershoot, cravat, dishabille, furbelow, layette, raiment, spectator

WAIST Defined for English Language Learners

waist

play

noun

Definition of waist for English Language Learners

: the middle part of your body between the hips and chest or upper back that is usually narrower than the areas above and below it
: the part of a piece of clothing that fits around your waist