waist
n.-
1 body part (n.) A2 Elementarythe part of your body between your chest and your hips.
the part of the human body between the ribs and the hips, typically the narrowest part of the torso.
ExampleHe wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a hug.
ExampleThe athlete's core strength was evident in the way he rotated his waist during the complex gymnastic routine.
- midsection
- torso
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2 clothing part (n.) B1 Intermediatethe part of a pair of trousers or a skirt that goes around your middle.
the portion of a garment that covers or fits around the waist of the wearer.
ExampleThese jeans are a bit tight around the waist after the holidays.
ExampleThe tailor suggested taking in the waist of the trousers to ensure a more flattering silhouette for the formal event.
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3 middle of an object (n.) C1 Advanced Technicalthe narrow middle part of an object, like a ship or a violin.
the narrowest or central part of an object, such as the middle of a ship's deck or the fuselage of an aircraft.
ExampleThe narrow waist of the violin helps the musician hold it comfortably.
ExampleThe crew gathered in the waist of the ship, the central area between the quarterdeck and the forecastle, to receive their morning instructions.
Inherited from Middle English wast (“waist”), probably from Old English wæst, wǣst, weaxt, wæhst, from Proto-West Germanic wahstu, from Proto-Germanic wahstuz (“growth, development, stature, build”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weg-s- (“to multiply, increase”). Cognate with Middle English wacste (“growth, increase, might, power”), Middle High German wahst (“growth”), Danish vækst (“growth”), Swedish växt (“growth, development, size”), Icelandic vöxtur (“growth”), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌷𐍃𐍄𐌿𐍃 (wahstus, “growth”). Related to Old English weaxan (“to grow, increase”). More at wax.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated June 20, 2026