bodice

noun

bod·ice ˈbä-dəs

: the upper part of a woman's dress

archaic : corset, stays

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The Fashionable History of Bodice

The term bodice is derived from body. One sense of the word body is “the part of a garment covering the body or trunk.” In the 17th and 18th centuries a woman’s corset was often called a “pair of bodies.” The plural bodies, or bodice, was eventually interpreted as a singular. Bodice is now most often used to refer to the upper part of a woman’s dress.

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Examples of bodice in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Good coordinated the skirt with a matching sleeveless crop top, which featured a turtleneck neckline and a keyhole cutout on the bodice. —

Julia Teti, WWD, 16 Jan. 2025 It’s fitted at the bodice and has a looser skirt with a ruffle along the diagonal slit. —

Isabel Garcia, People.com, 16 Jan. 2025 The dress features a lacquered jersey skirt and bodice embroidered with 23,000 crystals, rhinestones, and sequins, with a silk pleated peplum, and feathers blooming from the bust. —

Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 6 Jan. 2025 The actress stunned in a sparkling rose gold gown featuring a corset bodice. —

Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for bodice