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Added 8 October 2026

waist

/weɪst/ noun

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about waist at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The part of the body between the pelvis and the stomach.
A part of a piece of clothing that covers the waist.
The narrow connection between the thorax and abdomen in certain insects (e.g., bees, ants and wasps).

Origin

Inherited from Middle English wast (“waist”), probably from Old English *wæst, *wǣst, *weaxt, *wæhst, from Proto-West Germanic *wahstu, from Proto-Germanic *wahstuz (“growth, development, stature, build”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂weks- (“to multiply, increase”). Cognate with Middle English wacste (“growth, increase, might, power”), Middle High German wahst (“growth”), Danish vækst (“growth”), Swedish växt (“growth, development, size”), Icelandic vöxtur (“growth”), Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌷𐍃𐍄𐌿𐍃 (wahstus, “growth”). Related to Old English weaxan (“to grow, increase”). More at wax.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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