/ ˈbɒdɪs; NAmE ˈbɑːdɪs/ noun
the top part of a woman's dress, above the waist
••
WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent. (originally bodies ): plural of body , retaining the original pronunciation. The term probably first denoted an undergarment, then known as a pair of bodice , although this sense is not recorded until the early 17th cent.