bikini

Etymology

From French bikini, named after the place name Bikini, from English Bikini, the name of the atoll where the United States tested nuclear weapons in July 1946; it was reckoned that the bathing suit would cause as much excitement as a nuclear bomb. This name was originally from German Bikini, the colonial name of the atoll as part of German New Guinea, and this was derived from Marshallese Pikinni.

noun

1. A brief two-piece bathing suit worn by girls and women, especially one that exposes the midriff and navel.
   Cole has little but scorn for France's famed Bikini bathing suits. Explains he: " French girls, have short legs. Swimsuits have to be hiked up at the sides to make their legs look longer. " 2 Oct 1950, “In the Swim”, in Time
2. A brief bathing suit worn by men.
   We high-schoolers didn't understand why death came in the form of a gorgeous young man with muscles in a skimpy bikini. 2004, Cathy Crimmons, How the Homosexuals Saved Civilization, page 202
3. Brief underpants that reach to the hips rather than the waist.