Bodice

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbɒdɪs/

Definitions

1. A close-fitting garment covering the upper body from the shoulders to the waist, typically worn by women
2. A structured piece of fabric that shapes and supports the upper body, usually part of a dress or corset that extends to the waist, often associated with women's fashion
3. A tailored upper garment designed to fit snugly around the torso, commonly seen in women's clothing and often forming the foundation of dresses and corsets

Etymology: The word "bodice" is a plural in disguise. It comes from "bodies," the plural of "body," which in the sense of a close-fitting upper garment for women once referred to the pair of stiffened pieces that together formed the torso of a dress. Those two halves were the "bodies," and over time the singular "bodice" took over as the name for the single garment they made up. The sense of the word has changed in an interesting way. A "body" was originally the trunk of a person, so the garment was named for the part of the body it covered. Meanwhile, the modern word "body" has kept its wider meaning, which means the garment's name is a leftover from the older plural form of a word we now use for the whole human frame.

Synonyms: corset, waist