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
Read the Latest from M-W
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
-
Phil Collins, an artist, brought the concrete Engels—in two parts, cut at the waist—from Ukraine, where it had been toppled and dumped along with other Soviet monuments after Russia’s military aggression in 2015.
-
Ribbons were tied around the midriff, and tassels hung off waist-binding belts.
-
The Dion Lee piece commands attention against her black shorts and strappy sandals, and the tie at the waist hangs down past her knees.
-
Louis Holmes' tomato plants are as tall as his waist, with crisscrossing white strings holding them up to full height.
-
The man was about 5-feet, 3-inches tall with a 32-inch waist, officials said.
-
Nylon jumpsuits defined the Prada silhouette, belted at the waist and gathered at the ankles and cuffs with plastic Prada labels.
-
Some golfers believe the waist-high fescue growing outside the primary rough at Erin Hills Golf Course in Erin, Wis., is too tall.
-
What’s obscured—a guilty-pleasure drawstring waist—is the secret to the shorts’ success.
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
Other Clothing Terms
WAIST Defined for English Language Learners
waist
playDefinition 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
WAIST Defined for Kids
waist
playDefinition of waist for Students
1 : the part of the body between the hips and chest or upper back
2 : the part of a garment that fits around a person's waist
Medical Dictionary
waist
playMedical Definition of waist
: the typically narrowed part of the body between the thorax and hips
Learn More about waist
-
See words that rhyme with waist Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for waist Spanish Central: Translation of waist Nglish: Translation of waist for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of waist for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up waist? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!