bodice

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the fitted upper part of a woman's dress, above the waist

   The velvet bodice was decorated with tiny pearl buttons.

2. 2
   noun

   a close-fitting sleeveless garment worn by women over a blouse or dress, especially in historical clothing

   Her traditional costume included an embroidered bodice over a white blouse.

A singular form created from bodies, once the plural of body. In early English dressmaking, ‘a pair of bodies’ meant the two joined sides of a fitted upper garment; bodice later became the standard singular word.

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