1
a
: the typically narrowed part of the body between the hips and chest or upper back
put his arm around her waist
b
: the greatly constricted basal part of the abdomen of some insects (such as wasps and flies)
2
: the part of something corresponding to or resembling the human waist: such as
a(1)
: the part of a ship's deck between the poop and forecastle
(2)
: the middle part of a sailing ship between foremast and mainmast
b
: the middle section of the fuselage of an airplane
Examples of waist in a Sentence
He has a narrow waist and broad shoulders.
He put his arm around her waist.
These pants have an elastic waist.
The waist of this skirt is too tight.
Recent Examples on the Web
The bottoms have a wide, straight leg and a high-rise fit with an elastic waist.
—
Nicola Fumo, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2023
The higher waist works well with a cropped tee in warmer months or a knit sweater in fall and winter.
—Nykia Spradley, Glamour, 21 Sep. 2023
The frame of your backpack should comfortably fit from just below your shoulders to just above your waist.
—Taylor Fox, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2023
Later, the man stands at the back of an armored vehicle while an officer cuts the back of the shirt from neck to waist.
—Maryclaire Dale, Marc Levy, and Michael Rubinkam, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Sep. 2023
Chris Jackson/Getty Images Markle chose to accentuate her waist with a black woven Bottega Veneta belt in lieu of the original dress’s fabric tie, and wore a pair of black Aquazarra stiletto heels.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2023
This pick from Hedley & Bennett is made of machine-washable, stain-resistant 100% cotton and features chest and waist pockets for convenient storage.
—Sarah Grossbart, wsj.com, 11 Sep. 2023
In medieval times, men and women alike wore small bags tied to their waist or suspended by belts.
—Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023
Photos captured Jenner leaning in to embrace the musician and put her hands on his face, while Bad Bunny wrapped his arms around her waist, as the two enjoyed the music.
—Celeste McCauley, Peoplemag, 16 Sep. 2023
See More
Nicola Fumo, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2023
The higher waist works well with a cropped tee in warmer months or a knit sweater in fall and winter.
—Nykia Spradley, Glamour, 21 Sep. 2023
The frame of your backpack should comfortably fit from just below your shoulders to just above your waist.
—Taylor Fox, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2023
Later, the man stands at the back of an armored vehicle while an officer cuts the back of the shirt from neck to waist.
—Maryclaire Dale, Marc Levy, and Michael Rubinkam, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Sep. 2023
Chris Jackson/Getty Images Markle chose to accentuate her waist with a black woven Bottega Veneta belt in lieu of the original dress’s fabric tie, and wore a pair of black Aquazarra stiletto heels.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2023
This pick from Hedley & Bennett is made of machine-washable, stain-resistant 100% cotton and features chest and waist pockets for convenient storage.
—Sarah Grossbart, wsj.com, 11 Sep. 2023
In medieval times, men and women alike wore small bags tied to their waist or suspended by belts.
—Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023
Photos captured Jenner leaning in to embrace the musician and put her hands on his face, while Bad Bunny wrapped his arms around her waist, as the two enjoyed the music.
—Celeste McCauley, Peoplemag, 16 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'waist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing waist
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Dictionary Entries Near waist
Cite this Entry
“Waist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waist. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
waist
noun1
a
: the usually narrowed part of the body between the chest and hips
b
: the narrow front part of the abdomen of some insects (as a wasp)
2
: the central portion of something that is usually thinner or narrower than the ends
the waist of a ship
the waist of a violin
3
: a garment or the part of a garment that covers the body from the neck to the waist
Medical Definition
waist
noun
: the typically narrowed part of the body between the thorax and hips
More from Merriam-Webster on waist
Nglish: Translation of waist for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of waist for Arabic Speakers
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