Meanings
-
1
noun
a close-fitting, often stiffened undergarment worn to support or shape the torso and waist
The costume included a linen corset reinforced with flexible stays.
-
2
noun
a rigid or close-fitting medical support worn around part of the body
The surgeon prescribed a spinal corset to support her back during recovery.
-
3
verb
to fit, enclose, or restrict tightly as if with a corset
The designer corseted the actor before adjusting the outer gown.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English corset, through Old French corset, a diminutive of cors ('body'), ultimately from Latin corpus. It first denoted a body-fitting garment; later forms developed into the stiffened foundation garment associated especially with European dress from the sixteenth to early twentieth centuries.