bodice

[ bod-is ]
/ ˈbɒd ɪs /

noun

a usually fitted vest or wide, lace-up girdle worn by women over a dress or blouse, especially a cross-laced, sleeveless outer garment covering the waist and bust, common in peasant dress.
the part of a woman's dress covering the body between the neck or shoulders and the waist. Compare waist(def 4).
Obsolete. stays or a corset.

Origin of bodice

1560–70; bodies, plural of body

Example sentences from the Web for bodice

British Dictionary definitions for bodice

bodice
/ (ˈbɒdɪs) /

noun

the upper part of a woman's dress, from the shoulder to the waist
a tight-fitting corset worn laced over a blouse, as in certain national costumes, or (formerly) as a woman's undergarment

Word Origin for bodice

C16: originally Scottish bodies, plural of body