waist
pronunciation
How to pronounce waist in British English:
UK [weɪst]
How to pronounce waist in American English:
US [weɪst]
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- Noun:
- the narrowing of the body between the ribs and hips
- the narrow part of the shoe connecting the heel and the wide part of the sole
Word Origin
- waist
- waist: [14] Waist is something of a mystery word, but it is generally taken to denote etymologically ‘girth to which one has grown’. It is probably descended from an unrecorded Old English *wæst, which would have gone back to prehistoric Germanic *wakhs- ‘grow’, source of English wax ‘grow’ (as in wax and wane). Related forms which support this hypothesis include Icelandic vöxstr and Gothic wahstus, which mean ‘growth, size’.
- waist (n.)
- late 14c., "middle part of the body," also "part of a garment fitted for the waist, portion of a garment that covers the waist" (but, due to fashion styles, often above or below it), probably from Old English *wæst "growth," hence, "where the body grows," from Proto-Germanic *wahs-tu- (cognates: Old English wæstm, Old Norse vöxtr, Swedish växt, Old High German wahst "growth, increase," Gothic wahstus "stature," Old English weaxan "to grow" see wax (v.)), from PIE *wegs-, extended form of root *aug- (1) "to increase" (see augment).
Example
- 1. She got huge bruises on each side of her waist .
- 2. Wear your pants at your natural waist .
- 3. Jodhpurs curved to the waist and velvet vests were snug .
- 4. Within seconds it rose to his waist , then his chin .
- 5. He put his arms round her massive waist and kissed her wet steamy lips .