brassiere

or bras·sière

[ bruh-zeer ]

noun

1. a woman's undergarment for supporting the breasts.

brassiere

/ ˈbræsɪə; ˈbræz- /

noun

1. a woman's undergarment for covering and supporting the breasts Often shortened tobra

Word History and Origins

Origin of brassiere¹

1910–15; < French brassière bodice worn as an undergarment to support the breasts (now obsolete in this sense), Middle French bracieres camisole, Old French: armor for the arms, equivalent to bras arm ( brace ) + -ière, suffix added to body part nouns, the resultant derivative denoting an article for that part < Latin -āria -ary

Word History and Origins

Origin of brassiere¹

C20: from C17 French: bodice, from Old French braciere a protector for the arm, from braz arm

Example Sentences

“The odd couple,” he barks, lifting up a brassiere fashioned so that one cup is larger than the other.

From New York Times

As a kid, they’d imagined themselves walking down the street with a curvy body wearing a brassiere and tight clothing.

From Los Angeles Times

“You never knew if he was helping a lady across the street and being nice or unhooking her brassiere as they went across the street,” he was quoted as saying of his character in the book “Days of Our Lives: A Complete History of the Long-Running Soap Opera,” by Maureen Russell.

From New York Times

But even more mainstream daytime dresses, button-down pinstriped suits and print dresses were tailored to offer a hint of a brassiere, a peek of a slip.

From Seattle Times

Meanwhile, on Saturday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Morgan Wallen fielded a flying black brassiere — no harm, no foul.

From Los Angeles Times