Word
waist
US/ˈweɪst/
UK/wˈeɪst/
Definitions
01body part
n. the part of your body between your chest and your hips.
n. the part of the human body between the ribs and the hips, typically the narrowest part of the torso.
“He wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a hug.”
“The athlete's core strength was evident in the way he rotated his waist during the complex gymnastic routine.”
Synonyms
02clothing part
n. the part of a pair of trousers or a skirt that goes around your middle.
n. the portion of a garment that covers or fits around the waist of the wearer.
“These jeans are a bit tight around the waist after the holidays.”
“The tailor suggested taking in the waist of the trousers to ensure a more flattering silhouette for the formal event.”
Synonyms
03middle of an object
n. the narrow middle part of an object, like a ship or a violin.
n. the narrowest or central part of an object, such as the middle of a ship's deck or the fuselage of an aircraft.
“The narrow waist of the violin helps the musician hold it comfortably.”
“The crew gathered in the waist of the ship, the central area between the quarterdeck and the forecastle, to receive their morning instructions.”
Technical
Etymology
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.
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englishreference.com/q/waist