corset

noun kor-SEH Rare

Origin: Old French cors (body), diminutive form

Usage Note

Corset referred historically to the boned undergarment shaping the torso, but in contemporary French it is also used figuratively — un corset réglementaire (a regulatory straitjacket) means an overly constraining set of rules. The final t is silent. A modern alternative garment is la gaine, while le bustier is an unstructured boned top.

Examples

"Son corset etait serre jusqu'a la suffocation."

Natural Translation

Her corset was laced so tight she could barely breathe.

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