wasp waist
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Dictionary:
wasp waist (wŏsp'wās'tĭd, wôsp'-) adj. |
n.
A very slender waist or one that is tightly corseted.
wasp-waisted wasp'-waist'ed
| WordNet: wasp-waisted |
Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.
The adjective has one meaning:
Meaning #1:
having a small waist
Synonyms: slender-waisted, slim-waisted
| Wikipedia: Wasp waist |
Wasp waist refers to a woman's fashion silhouette, produced by a style of corset and girdle, that has experienced various periods of popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries. Its primary feature is the abrupt transition from a natural-width rib cage to an exceedingly small waist, with the hips curving out below. It takes its name from its similarity to a wasp's segmented body. The sharply cinched waistline also exaggerates the hips and bust.
In the 19th century, while average corseted waist measurements varied between 20 and 23 inches, wasp waist measurements of 18 to 16 inches were not uncommon and were often striven for as the reigning standard of feminine beauty in the period. [1][2]
Among the multitude of medical problems women suffered to achieve these drastic measurements were cracked and deformed ribs, weakened abdominal muscles, deformed and dislocated internal organs, and respiratory ailments. Displacement and disfigurement of the reproductive organs greatly increased the risk of miscarriage and maternal death.[3]
See also
- Tightlacing
- Foot Binding
- Neck ring
- Breast augmentation
- Labiaplasty
- Body dysmorphic disorder
- Corset controversy
Notes
- ^ Kunzle, D."Fashion and Fetishism", Accessed June 20, 2007
- ^ Klingerman, K.M. "Binding Femininity: The Effects of Tightlacing on the Female Pelvis", Accessed June 20, 2007
- ^ O'Connor, E. "Medicine and Women's Clothing and Leisure Activities in Victorian Canada", Accessed June 20, 2007
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Copyrights:
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Wasp waist". Read more |
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Mentioned in
- ant (insect)
- Claire Mccardell (American designer)
- Marcel Rochas (French designer)
- costume (clothing)
