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choli

choli

1 8.4
A short fitted blouse that women in South Asia wear with a sari
  • noun
: choli
  • At the wedding ceremony, many women dressed in colorful cholis adorned with intricate embroidery.

Examples

  • No, Mum, I want my choli more fitted.

  • Since I have a sleeved bodysuit on, I didn't need a choli, though I like the cut-out one my friend is wearing, so I might make one.

    Blog text (10)
  • The charge at Vertigo was fifty rupees each, and the wait was half an hour, but inside there was the happiness of a beat that I could feel in my chest, choli ke peechay kya hai, and bodies and bodies, a mirrored ceiling in which danced the happy faces of men.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • She wore a vibrant red choli that complemented her sari beautifully.

  • The traditional choli is often paired with a flowing skirt and a dupatta for festive occasions.

How Fitted

corset
33 5.8
choli
1 8.4
bodice
20 6.7
blouse
152 1.0

Surface Forms

choli singular
cholis plural

Etymology

Choli comes from the Hindi and Urdu word choli, and before that from older Indian words that meant a 'small' or 'short garment'. So a choli is the fitted 'blouse' or 'top' worn with a sari, which explains its modern meaning.