Bikinis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A two-part swimwear garment designed for women that typically consists of a bra-like top and bottom piece covering minimal areas of the body
2. This type of beachwear is characterized by its minimal coverage, often worn for sunbathing or swimming
3. A fashionable set of light swimwear comprised of a top and bottom, often associated with leisure and summer activities

Etymology: The swimsuit is named after a coral atoll in the Marshall Islands, Bikini, whose name came from the Marshallese "Pikinni" and passed through German, when the atoll was part of German New Guinea, before reaching English. The name became famous in July 1946, when the United States tested nuclear weapons there. The two-piece suit had been unveiled in Paris only weeks earlier, and its designer reportedly felt it would cause as much excitement as a nuclear bomb, a comparison that stuck to the name. The word is a plural, the form used for more than one of these two-piece suits. "Bikini" itself comes from French, which took the English form of the atoll's name, so the English word's history runs from Marshallese through German and English before returning to French fashion circles.

Synonyms: swimwear, bathing suits, two-piece, beachwear, costumes