bikini
UK /bɪˈkiː.ni/ · US /bɪˈki.ni/ noun, proper noun
Forms bikinis
- noun A brief, often minimalistic two-piece bathing suit worn by women, especially one that exposes the midriff and navel.
- noun A brief bathing suit covering only the pelvis (equivalent to the bottom portion of a two-piece bikini), worn by any gender.
- noun Brief underpants or trousers that reach to the hips rather than the waist and have high cut leg holes.
- proper noun Bikini atoll.
Synonyms
Etymology
From French bikini, named after the place name Bikini, from English Bikini, the name of the atoll where the United States tested nuclear weapons in July 1946; it was reckoned that the bathing suit would cause as much excitement as a nuclear bomb. This name was originally from German Bikini, the colonial name of the atoll as part of German New Guinea, and this was derived from Marshallese Pikinni.
From German Bikini, the colonial name of the atoll as part of German New Guinea, and this was derived from Marshallese Pikinni.
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “bikini”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details