Word of the Day

: October 4, 2014

tankini

noun tang-KEE-nee

What It Means

: a woman's two-piece swimsuit consisting of bikini briefs and a tank top

tankini in Context

While women in the north are putting their swimsuits away for the season-be they one-pieces, bikinis, or tankinis-those in southerly climes can still comfortably relax poolside.

"For the first time, select tankini styles feature the popular zip-front styling, making it easier to put on and take off the swimsuit after a dip in the pool." - Marketwired, September 9, 2014

Did You Know?

The two-piece swimsuit we call the bikini made its debut on Paris runways in 1946. The word bikini comes from Bikini atoll, the name of one of the Marshall Islands in the western Pacific, where atomic-bomb tests were performed in 1946. One theory of the coinage is that the effect achieved by a scantily clad woman appearing in public may be compared to the effect of an A-bomb blast. Another possible explanation is that the bikini leaves its wearer nearly bare, the way the bomb tests stripped Bikini atoll. In 1985, the tankini began appearing on beaches in the U.S., and the word bikini was combined with tank to create its appropriate name.