English Explanatory Dictionary

waist

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The part of the body between the pelvis and the stomach.
  2. A part of a piece of clothing that covers the waist.
  3. The narrow connection between the thorax and abdomen in certain insects (e.g., bees, ants and wasps).
  4. The middle portion of the hull of a ship or the fuselage of an aircraft.
  5. That part of the upper deck of a ship between the quarterdeck and the forecastle.
  6. The middle part of anything.

Pronunciation

/weɪst/ en-us-waste.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-waist.wav

Word forms

waist waists waste wast

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English wast (“waist”), probably from Old English *wæst, *wǣst, *weaxt, *wæhst, from Proto-West Germanic *wahstu, from Proto-Germanic *wahstuz (“growth, development, stature, build”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weg-s- (“to multiply, increase”). Cognate with Middle English wacste (“growth, increase, might, power”), Middle High German wahst (“growth”), Danish vækst (“growth”), Swedish växt (“growth, development, size”), Icelandic vöxtur (“growth”), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌷𐍃𐍄𐌿𐍃 (wahstus, “growth”). Related to Old English weaxan (“to grow, increase”). More at wax.

Derived words

dropped waist drop waist emancipation waist empire-waist empire waist pantywaist paperbag waist sheer-to-waist shirt waist shirtwaist shirt-waist snatched waist strip to the waist waist bag waistband waist card waist chain waist cincher waistcoat waist-deep waist-deep in the Big Muddy waist-high waistless waistline waist overalls wasp waist
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