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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
Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 23 Apr. 2024
The dress had been constructed from a boudoir-ish bodice, which distended into a full-skirted ballgown, giving the impression of deliberate deshabillé, as if the design had been left unfinished on the mannequin.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2024
Good luck ripping that bodice off, Colin Bridgerton.
—Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 15 Apr. 2024
Though scholars have previously studied the work, discovering such details as a dotted underdrawing in Anne’s bodice, the recent conservation and cleaning is the first major undertaking in the painting’s history.
—Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024
Rumer, 35, sported a pink Monique Lhuillier gown with a plunging bodice and accessorized with opera gloves.
—Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Cate Blanchett wore a sensational jeweled bodice gown from the collection that matched her blond hair to the 2020 Golden Globes.
—Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2024
The dress has a flattering bodice, a flowy skirt, and a flirty tie-back.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2024
Academy Award nominee Danielle Brooks donned a custom black Dolce & Gabbana gown which featured a bustier bodice and high slit.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 11 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bodice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Bodice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bodice. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
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bodice
noun
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