[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/waist/)

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# waist

noun (waist, waists)

«waist» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Your waist is the middle part of your body, between your ribs and your hips, usually the narrowest part, where a belt goes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waist/#m1)
2. The waist of a piece of clothing is the part that goes around your waist. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waist/#m2)

### In the lessons

Everyday life: trousers and skirts fit at the waist; in swimming lessons and at the beach, «waist-deep» water reaches your middle — a good guide for safety, because moving water can knock you over even at that depth. In science, measuring the waist with a tape measure is a maths activity (centimetres or inches). Phrases: around the waist, waist-deep, waistband, waistcoat, waist size.

### Examples

- She tied a ribbon around her waist. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waist/#x1)
- The water was waist-deep, so we stayed close to the shore. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waist/#x2)
- These jeans are too big at the waist. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waist/#x3)
- Put your hands on your waist and bend to the side. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waist/#x4)
- Measure your waist with a tape measure. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waist/#x5)
- The dancer bent at the waist and bowed. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waist/#x6)
- She clasped little Gerda round the waist, and said,-- [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waist/#x7)

### Note

Countable: waists. Homophone trap: «waist» (body part) sounds exactly like «waste» (rubbish, or to use badly) — «Don't waste food» vs «my waist». A «waistcoat» (UK) is a «vest» in the USA.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «waist» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/W/waist/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«waist» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/waist.html) on Mova free.