waist
n. countablen. the middle part of your body between your chest and your hips. It is usually the narrowest part of your torso where you wear a belt.
n. the part of the human body between the ribs and the hips, typically forming the narrowest portion of the torso.
The belt is too small for my waist.
She stood with her hands on her waist while she waited for the bus to arrive.
Tailors often take multiple measurements around the natural waist to ensure that high-waisted trousers drape correctly without bunching at the hip.
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.
Often used in compound nouns like 'waistline' or 'waistband'.