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.

The gown includes cutouts on the bodice, as well as a fluid floor-length skirt with a thigh-high slit for an additional touch of drama. —

Julia Teti, WWD, 23 Jan. 2025 Between the corset-like bodice, the square neckline, and the eye-catching slit at the bottom, this dress is seriously stunning. —

Lindsey Lanquist, StyleCaster, 23 Jan. 2025 What comes to mind is the dress that Jackie Kennedy wore to the 1961 inauguration gala—a strapless and sleeveless off-white gown with a sheer silk top layer that covered an encrusted strapless bodice, embroidered with silver. —

Vogue, 20 Jan. 2025 The dreamy ballgown had a corseted bodice and layers upon layers of tool. —

Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 9 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for bodice