bikini

noun

bi·​ki·​ni bə-ˈkē-nē 

plural bikinis

1

a

: a two-piece bathing suit worn by women that does not cover the midriff see also string bikini, tankini

b

: a short snug swimsuit worn by men

2

: a pair of low-cut briefs (see brief entry 2 sense 4)

Launched in May, the underwear brand for men and women includes bikinis, … G-strings and boxer briefs.

—Phyllis Furman

… ultra low-rise jeans with a built-in bikini or thong.

—Sunday Tribune (South Africa)

—often used before another noun

Bikini briefs are usually lower than the true waist, often at the hips.

—Clifford Pugh

bikinied adjective

or less commonly bikini'd

bə-ˈkē-nēd 

Examples of bikini in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the photo taken in Belize, Brittany poses in the string bikini while wearing a cowboy hat. —Hedy Phillips, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024

Tons of the brand’s mix-and-match bikini separates are now available for less than $10 each, making them just about the cheapest (but cutest) pieces on the market. —Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 9 Apr. 2024

The pop star shared the news in a post via X on Thursday (April 4), sharing a photo of the project’s artwork — which features her looking luminous in a white bikini top and shawl — as well as a teaser video. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 4 Apr. 2024

Underwire Bikini Top This Wild Fable bikini top is a charming choice thanks to its pointelle design and front bow feature. —Megan Schaltegger, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2024

Commentary circulated on blogs and in glossy magazines about how her physique fit (or didn’t fit) a certain paradigm for the female form; eventually Middleton was photographed sunbathing without a bikini top. —Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2024

Who would’ve thought that the pioneer of the selfie, America’s bikini ambassador and Hugh Hefner’s favorite photographer started out as a 17-year-old girl in Miami who took up modeling to overcome her shyness? —Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024

Hayek, gorgeous as always, was snapped in a black bikini and sunglasses on the beach at sunset, adjusting her top in a candid moment. —Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 25 Mar. 2024

Pulsating with pumpkin extract, shea butter, and sensual cacao seed, the new scrub offers more than just a hushed bikini line. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 19 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, from Bikini, atoll of the Marshall Islands

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing bikini

• bikini wax
• string bikini

Kids Definition

bikini

noun

bi·​ki·​ni bə-ˈkē-nē 

: a scanty two-piece bathing suit for a girl or woman

Etymology

from French bikini "two-piece bathing suit," from Bikini, atoll in the Marshall Islands

Geographical Definition

Bikini

geographical name

Bi·​ki·​ni bi-ˈkē-nē 

island (atoll) of the Marshall Islands

Note: Bikini was the site of U.S. atomic bomb tests in 1946 and hydrogen bomb tests in 1954 and 1956.

Bikinian

bi-ˈkē-nē-ən 

noun