bodice

pronunciation

How to pronounce bodice in British English: UK [ˈbɒdɪs]word uk audio image

How to pronounce bodice in American English: US [ˈbɑdɪs] word us audio image

  • Noun:
    part of a dress above the waist

Word Origin

bodice
bodice: [16] Originally, bodice was identical with bodies – that is, the plural of body. This use of body began early in the 16th century, when it referred to the part of a woman’s dress that covered the trunk, as opposed to the arms; and it soon became restricted specifically to the part above the waist. The reason for the adoption of the plural form (which was often used originally in the phrase pair of bodies) was that the upper portion of women’s dresses was usually in two parts, which fastened down the middle. In the 17th and 18th centuries the term bodice was frequently applied to ‘corsets’.=> body
bodice (n.)
1560s, oddly spelled plural of body, name of a tight-fitting Elizabethan garment covering the torso; plural because the body came in two parts which fastened in the middle. Bodice-ripper for "racy romance novel" is from 1981.

Example

1. The brooch that clasped her bodice .
2. Dancing girl took off bust bodice again then , japanese also stands up immediately sing national anthem .
3. Pleated bodice with crisscross layers .
4. Off-the-shoulder crisscross ruched bodice wedding dress ( mlsw23736 )
5. But she -- the naughty baggage -- little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown .

more: >How to Use "bodice" with Example Sentences