bikini

¹

[ bih-kee-nee ]

noun

, plural bi·ki·nis.

1. a very brief, close-fitting, two-piece bathing suit for women or girls.
2. a very brief, close-fitting pair of bathing trunks for men or boys.
3. Often bikinis. underwear briefs that are fitted low on the hip or below it.

Bikini

²

[ bih-kee-nee ]

noun

1. an atoll in the N Pacific, in the Marshall Islands: atomic bomb tests 1946. 3 sq. mi. (8 sq. km).

bikini

¹

/ bɪˈkiːnɪ /

noun

1. a woman's very brief two-piece swimming costume

Bikini

²

/ bɪˈkiːnɪ /

noun

1. an atoll in the N Pacific; one of the Marshall Islands: site of a US atomic-bomb test in 1946

Word History and Origins

Origin of bikini¹

1945–50; < French, apparently named after Bikini

Word History and Origins

Origin of bikini¹

C20: after Bikini atoll, from a comparison between the devastating effect of the atomic-bomb test and the effect caused by women wearing bikinis

Example Sentences

Though Hanna’s name is synonymous with the riot grrrl movement in music, her disarming memoir encompasses far more than her time fronting the formative indie bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre.

From New York Times

I loved Bikini Kill, no doubt about it.

From Salon

Did you see Bikini Kill’s influence in real time?

From Seattle Times

What catapulted her to this position and fixed her in the spotlight was the visibility of her band Bikini Kill.

From Los Angeles Times

There was also that time at Lollapalooza when Love punched Bikini Kill’s singer Kathleen Hanna in the face, as inflicting physical harm on a fellow revolutionary isn’t an especially good look for the cause.

From Salon

Related Words

• bra
• corset
• lingerie
• shorts
• undergarment
• underpants
• undershirt