Standard Lemma guide

corset

noun · verb · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈkɔː(ɹ).sɪt/
  • rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)sɪt
  • UK: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K AO1 R S AH0 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A woman's foundation garment, reinforced with stays, that supports the waistline, hips and bust.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A tight-fitting gown or basque worn by both men and women during the Middle Ages.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: historical

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A regulation that limited the growth of British banks' interest-bearing deposits.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, historical

Topics: business, finance

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To enclose in a corset; to wear a corset.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Mabel dreaded the upcoming ball and the preliminary corseting it would entail.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To restrict or confine.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • I will not remain corseted by your notions of what is and is not proper!

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

a woman's close-fitting foundation garment

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: girdle, stays

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: foundation garment, foundation

Narrower terms: panty girdle

7

verb

Meaning 7

dress with a corset

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dress, clothe, enclothe, garb, raiment, tog, garment, habilitate, fit out, apparel

History

Etymology

From Middle English corset, from Old French corset. Equivalent to corse + -et.

Across languages

Translations

50 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: كورسيه — woman's garment
  • Arabic: كورساج (kōrsāj) — woman's garment
  • Arabic: مَشَد (mašad) — woman's garment
  • Armenian: սեղմիրան (seġmiran) — woman's garment
  • Bulgarian: корсе́т (korsét) — woman's garment
  • Catalan: cotilla — woman's garment
  • Chinese Mandarin: 緊身褡 /紧身褡 (jǐnshēndā) — woman's garment
  • Cornish: korset — woman's garment
  • Czech: korzet — woman's garment
  • Danish: korset — woman's garment
  • Danish: snørliv — woman's garment
  • Dutch: korset — woman's garment
  • Dutch: keurs — woman's garment
  • Esperanto: korseto — woman's garment
  • Finnish: korsetti — woman's garment
  • French: corset — woman's garment
  • German: Korsett — woman's garment
  • German: Schnürleib — woman's garment
  • Greek: κορσές (korsés) — woman's garment
  • Hebrew: מחוך (makhokh) — woman's garment
  • Hungarian: fűző — woman's garment
  • Icelandic: lífstykki — woman's garment
  • Ido: korseto — woman's garment
  • Italian: corsetto — woman's garment
  • Japanese: コルセット (korusetto) — woman's garment
  • Korean: 코르셋 (koreuset) — woman's garment
  • Maranao: korsit — woman's garment
  • Norwegian Bokmål: korsett — woman's garment
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: korsett — woman's garment
  • Persian: شکمبند (šekamband) — woman's garment
  • Persian: کرست (korset) — woman's garment
  • Polish: gorset — woman's garment
  • Portuguese: espartilho — woman's garment
  • Portuguese: corset — woman's garment
  • Romanian: corset — woman's garment
  • Russian: корсе́т (korsét) — woman's garment
  • Russian: гра́ция (grácija) — woman's garment
  • Serbo-Croatian: стезник — woman's garment
  • Serbo-Croatian: корзет — woman's garment
  • Serbo-Croatian: steznik — woman's garment
  • Serbo-Croatian: korzet — woman's garment
  • Slovak: korzet — woman's garment
  • Spanish: corsé — woman's garment
  • Spanish: corset — woman's garment
  • Swedish: korsett — woman's garment
  • Tagalog: kurse — woman's garment
  • Turkish: korse — woman's garment
  • Vietnamese: coóc-xê — woman's garment
  • Welsh: staes — woman's garment
  • Welsh: corsed — woman's garment