thong
n. countablen. a type of underwear or swimwear that has a very narrow strip of fabric at the back. In some countries, like Australia, this word also means a simple rubber sandal held on by a V-shaped strap.
n. a garment for the lower body consisting of a narrow strip of fabric passing between the buttocks, attached to a waistband. In Australian English, refers to a backless rubber sandal held on the foot by a strap between the first and second toes.
She wore a thong under her tight dress to avoid visible lines.
While packing for the beach holiday, he made sure to include several pairs of thongs for walking on the hot sand.
The evolution of the thong from a functional piece of athletic supporter equipment to a mainstream fashion staple illustrates significant shifts in public attitudes toward body image and garment visibility.
From Middle English thong, thwong, thwang, from Old English þwong, þwang (“thong, band, strap, cord, strip of leather; phylactery”), from Proto-West Germanic þwangi, from Proto-Germanic þwangiz, þwanguz (“coercion, constraint, band, clamp, strap”), from Proto-Indo-European twenk- (“to squeeze, press, pressure”). Cognate with Scots thwang, thwayng, thang (“thong”), Middle Low German dwenge (“clamp, jaws, steel-trap”), German Zwinge (“vise, clamp”), Danish tvinge (“clamp”), dialectal Norwegian tveng (“shoestrap, shoelace”), Icelandic þvengur (“strap, thong, latchet”).
In the footwear sense, usually used in the plural ('thongs').
I am wearing a thong on my feet.I am wearing thongs on my feet.When referring to footwear, the word is almost always plural; the singular form usually refers to the underwear.