English Reference
noun

stays

n.
US /ˈsteɪz/ UK /stˈeɪz/ stays

  1. 01 C2 Proficiency Archaic

    a stiff piece of underwear worn by women in the past to shape their bodies.

    a historical term for a corset or a stiffened undergarment worn to support the torso.

    Simple

    In the 18th century, women wore stays made of whalebone to keep their posture straight.

    In context

    The museum's textile collection includes several well-preserved pairs of eighteenth-century stays, illustrating the restrictive nature of period fashion.

    corsetbodice
This entry
Level A2 · Elementary
Frequency Common
Updated