bra

Meaning

An item of clothing, usually underwear worn to support the breasts.

Synonyms

brassiere

bandeau

underwear

lingerie

fastener

undergarment

uplift

brassière

bodice

bro

camisole

Pronounced as (IPA)

/bɹɑː/

Etymology

Clipping of brassiere, borrowed from French brassière, from Old French braciere (originally a lining inside armor to protect the arm, but later a garment), from Old French brace (“arm”), from Latin bracchia, plural of Latin bracchium (“forearm”), from Ancient Greek βραχίων (brakhíōn, “forearm”), from Proto-Hellenic *brəkʰús (“short”) (because the forearm is shorter than the upper arm), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus.