| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| waist |
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| PRONUNCIATION: |  w st |
| NOUN: | 1a. The part of the human trunk between the bottom of the rib cage and the pelvis. b. The narrow part of the abdomen of an insect. 2a. The part of a garment that encircles the waist of the body. b. The upper part of a garment, extending from the shoulders to the waistline, especially the bodice of a woman's dress. c. A blouse. d. A child's undershirt. 3. The middle section or part of an object, especially when narrower than the rest. 4. Nautical The middle part of the upper deck of a ship between the forecastle and the quarterdeck. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English wast, perhaps from Old English *wæst, growth, size. See aug- in Appendix I. | | OTHER FORMS: | waist less —ADJECTIVE
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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