waist

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 →
2. The waist of a piece of clothing is the part that goes around your waist. tree →

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 →
• The water was waist-deep, so we stayed close to the shore. tree →
• These jeans are too big at the waist. tree →
• Put your hands on your waist and bend to the side. tree →
• Measure your waist with a tape measure. tree →
• The dancer bent at the waist and bowed. tree →
• She clasped little Gerda round the waist, and said,-- tree →

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.