monokini

[ mon-uh-kee-nee ]

noun

1. a close-fitting one-piece bathing suit with cutouts that reveal large areas of skin.
2. a topless bathing suit designed in the 1960s with a high-waisted bottom and two thin straps going from the center of the chest outward in a V shape, and connecting in a halter behind the neck.

Word History and Origins

Origin of monokini¹

First recorded in 1960–65; mono- + (bi)kini, as if bikini were formed from the prefix bi- ¹( def )

Example Sentences

So did beach-area police forces from Santa Monica to St. Tropez, who swooped in to arrest any woman sporting a Gernreich “monokini” on the sand or in the surf.

From Washington Post

The 24-year-old reality TV star posed in a pink and yellow monokini as she featured the first design of Kylie Swim.

From Fox News

This exhibition of more than 80 ensembles, organized by the Skirball Cultural Center of Los Angeles, looks at the man most famous for creating the “monokini” topless swimsuit and various unisex looks.

From New York Times

While nothing in national law prevents women from going topless, municipalities can ban “monokini” — wearing only the bottom of a bikini — or thongs through local decrees.

From New York Times

The 52-year-old television host rocked a sexy black mesh monokini while on vacation in Miami with her husband Richard Marx.

From Fox News