corset
/ˈkɔː(ɹ).sɪt/ noun, verb
Forms corsets corseting corsetting corseted corsetted
- noun A woman's foundation garment, reinforced with stays, that supports the waistline, hips and bust.
- noun (historical) A tight-fitting gown or basque worn by both men and women during the Middle Ages.
- noun (UK, finance, historical) A regulation that limited the growth of British banks' interest-bearing deposits.
- verb (transitive) To enclose in a corset; to wear a corset. “Mabel dreaded the upcoming ball and the preliminary corseting it would entail.”
- verb (figuratively) To restrict or confine. “I will not remain corseted by your notions of what is and is not proper!”
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English corset, from Old French corset. Equivalent to corse + -et.
Webster’s 1913
- noun In the Middle Ages, a gown or basque of which the body was close fitting, worn by both men and women.
- noun An article of dress inclosing the chest and waist worn (chiefly by women) to support the body or to modify its shape; stays.
- verb To inclose in corsets.
Etymology [F., dim. of OF. cors, F. corps, body. See Corse.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “corset”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details