corset
UK[ˈkɔːsɪt]US[ˈkɔːrsɪt]
n
A tight-fitting piece of clothing worn, especially by women, to shape the body.
n
A similar stiff supporting or protective structure.
Morpheme Breakdown
cors
et
cors
body
et
diminutive suffix
Etymology
The word 'corset' entered English in the late 14th century from Old French, where 'corset' was a diminutive of 'cors' (body). The literal meaning was thus "a little body" or "bodice." This term traces back to the Latin 'corpus', meaning "body," which itself has a deep Proto-Indo-European root krep- meaning "body, form." The semantic evolution is direct: from the general concept of the body, to a garment that shapes and contains the torso, and eventually to any similarly constricting or supporting framework.
Analysis
Structure: cors (body) + et (diminutive suffix)
"cors" originates from Old French 'cors', meaning 'body', derived from Latin 'corpus' (body). "et" is a diminutive suffix from Old French '-et', used to form nouns indicating a smaller or specific version of something.
Examples
She wore a tightly laced corset under her wedding gown.
The surgeon recommended a medical corset for back support after the operation.
The novel described the restrictive corset of 19th-century social conventions.