1
a
: 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
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
The system offers 31 degrees of freedom, including articulated hands, a multi-DOF waist with braking, a movable head, and binocular vision for human-like perception.
—
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Jan. 2026
Four men, wading up to their waists in the river, held the prow fast while another four helped Skinny Pedro fasten the engine to the stern with a single solid hook.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Lisa sported a Glinda pink optical illusion tulle dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves, a structural peplum waist, and an asymmetrical, hip-high leg slit that trailed into a train of ribbon loops.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
Her Prada plisse gown, with a drop waist cummerbund that fell into fringes of glass beads, was more the spirit of Art Deco – stately but uncompromising – then flapper costume from Spirit Halloween.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for waist
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Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Jan. 2026
Four men, wading up to their waists in the river, held the prow fast while another four helped Skinny Pedro fasten the engine to the stern with a single solid hook.
—Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Lisa sported a Glinda pink optical illusion tulle dress with off-the-shoulder sleeves, a structural peplum waist, and an asymmetrical, hip-high leg slit that trailed into a train of ribbon loops.
—Hannah Malach, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
Her Prada plisse gown, with a drop waist cummerbund that fell into fringes of glass beads, was more the spirit of Art Deco – stately but uncompromising – then flapper costume from Spirit Halloween.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for waist
Cite this Entry
“Waist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waist. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
waist
noun1
a
: the usually narrowed part of the body between the chest and hips
b
: the narrow front part of the abdomen of some insects (as a wasp)
2
: the central portion of something that is usually thinner or narrower than the ends
the waist of a ship
the waist of a violin
3
: a garment or the part of a garment that covers the body from the neck to the waist
Medical Definition
waist
noun
: the typically narrowed part of the body between the thorax and hips
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