Dictionary

bodice en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈbɑdɪs/ (General-American)
• (US) audio
• /ˈbɒdɪs/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From bodies, plural of body (“upper part of a dress”).

Meanings

1. A corset-like sleeveless overgarment for women, sometimes provided with detachable sleeves.
2. A blouse; any shirt for women, particularly the upper part of a two-piece dress or similar European folk costume.
   • As she knelt, too, her amber locks fell in rich ringlets about her beautiful head, her innocent bosom palpitated beneath the crimson boddice, and her timid blushes increased the effulgence of her charms. 1829 June 10 (date written), [Washington Irving], “[The Legend of Don Roderick.] The Story of Florinda.”, in Legends of the Conquest of Spain (The Crayon Miscellany; no. 3), Philadelphia, Pa.: [Henry Charles] Carey, [Isaac] Lea, & Blanchard, published 1835, →OCLC, pages 38–39:
   • On the cover of the leaflet advertising the Alpenrose Gasthof in Zirl am Gurgl […] there is a decorative picture of a young woman. She is wearing Tyrolese costume: the low-cut white bodice with cross-laced velvet waistcoat, the floral apron and dirndl skirt. 1956, Delano Ames, chapter 1, in Crime out of Mind:
3. The upper portion of a women's one-piece dress, equivalent to a shirt, sometimes specifically excluding the sleeves.
   • Patty said, ‘It’s almost one of those awful parts where a girl is just brought in to stand and look sexy, and not really do anything. I don’t just want to come in wearing a tight open-bodice dress and be an ornament. I’m an actress; I want lines.’ 1964, Philip K. Dick, “NINE”, in Clans of the Alphane Moon, United States: Ace Books, →OCLC; republished London: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1996, →ISBN, page 111:
4. An underbodice: an undershirt for women.
5. (archaic) An underbodice: an undershirt for women. ▸ Particularly a corset or other undershirt stiffened with whalebone.

Forms

Deriveds

bodiced · bodicing · Watteau bodice · overbodice · bodice ripper · liberty bodice · bodice-rippery · bodice ripping

Hyponyms

yem (sleeveless shirt for women) · jumps (sleeveless shirt for women) · blouse (sleeved shirt for women) · angiya (sleeveless shirt for women) · dudou (sleeveless shirt for women) · jelick (sleeveless shirt for women) · underbodice (undershirt for women)

Meronyms

plastron (sleeveless shirt for women) · robing (upper part of a dress)

Translations (47)

hu blúz (upper portion of one- or two-piece dress) · fi korsetti (kind of undershirt stiffened with whalebone) · nl lijfje (kind of undershirt stiffened with whalebone) · sv liv (sleeveless garment covering body from neck to waist) · bg корса́ж (kind of undershirt stiffened with whalebone) · hu bodi (sleeveless garment covering body from neck to waist) · es jubón (kind of undershirt stiffened with whalebone) · ca cosset (blouse-like garment in European folk dress) · mi pari (sleeveless garment covering body from neck to waist) · fi yläosa (upper portion of one- or two-piece dress) · it corpetto (kind of undershirt stiffened with whalebone) · hu vállfűző (blouse-like garment in European folk dress) · ru корса́ж (kind of undershirt stiffened with whalebone) · pt corpete (kind of undershirt stiffened with whalebone) · hu felső (upper portion of one- or two-piece dress) · fa یلک (sleeveless garment covering body from neck to waist) · gl corpiño (blouse-like garment in European folk dress) · fi toppi (sleeveless garment covering body from neck to waist) · hu míder (kind of undershirt stiffened with whalebone) · ca cosset (sleeveless garment covering body from neck to waist) · my ရင်စည်း (kind of undershirt stiffened with whalebone) · no liv (blouse-like garment in European folk dress) · nl lijfje (sleeveless garment covering body from neck to waist) · gl corpiño (upper portion of one- or two-piece dress) · eo korsaĵo (sleeveless garment covering body from neck to waist) · hu body (sleeveless garment covering body from neck to waist) · hu pruszlik (blouse-like garment in European folk dress) · it corpino (sleeveless garment covering body from neck to waist) · hu fűző (kind of undershirt stiffened with whalebone) · fr corsage (kind of undershirt stiffened with whalebone) · de Mieder (blouse-like garment in European folk dress) · nl lijfje (blouse-like garment in European folk dress) · bg елече (sleeveless garment covering body from neck to waist) · it corpetto (blouse-like garment in European folk dress) · fr corsage (blouse-like garment in European folk dress) · fi liivi (sleeveless garment covering body from neck to waist) · my ရင်ခံ (kind of undershirt stiffened with whalebone) · cs živůtek (sleeveless garment covering body from neck to waist) · nl keurslijf (kind of undershirt stiffened with whalebone) · es corpiño (blouse-like garment in European folk dress) · gl corpiño (sleeveless garment covering body from neck to waist) · sv snörliv (sleeveless garment covering body from neck to waist) · fi toppi (upper portion of one- or two-piece dress) · lv ņieburs (kind of undershirt stiffened with whalebone) · ru корсе́т (kind of undershirt stiffened with whalebone) · tr yelek (sleeveless garment covering body from neck to waist) · fi liivi (blouse-like garment in European folk dress)