Brassieres

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A form-fitting undergarment worn by women to support and shape the breasts
2. a garment often styled in various designs including padded or underwired options
3. a piece of clothing that can enhance the appearance of the bust and is commonly used under clothing

Etymology: "Brassiere" is the singular form of this plural, and it came into English from French, where "brassière" originally meant a child's bodice or a garment worn on the upper body. It derives from "bras," the French word for "arm," which goes back to Latin "bracchium." The same Latin root gave English "brace," which in Old French meant "both arms" or an embrace before it came to mean a support or fastening. So the garment's name and the word for a tightening support share an ancestor in the idea of the arms.

Synonyms: bra, undergarment