How to pronounce bustle
American English pronunciation
BUS-ul
- IPA
- /ˈbʌsəl/
- Syllables
- BUS · ul (2 syllables, stress on the 1st)
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What bustle means
Most people know bustle in its everyday sense. Here's its other meaning.
A frame or pad worn to puff out the back of a long skirt
In a sentence: Her old-fashioned gown had a big bustle that made the back of the skirt stick out.
Where it comes from: No one is sure where this meaning came from. It may be related to busk, a stiff strip in a corset.
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