French word

torse

Pronunciation

IPA/tɔʁs/

Meaning

  • masculine nounupper body

Example

Il est torse nu.

He is naked from the waist up.

Illustration for torse (upper body)

More examples

Après l'accident, il ressentait une douleur dans le torse.

After the accident, he felt pain in his torso.

Core concept

The sturdy upper section of a human body, seen as one form from neck through chest to waist.

Common phrases

  • torse nu

    bare torso

  • muscles du torse

    torso muscles

Similar words

poitrine: The front of the chest, including the breasts.
buste: The upper front of the body around the chest, neck, and shoulders.
tronc: The central part of the body from the chest to the waist or pelvis.
sein: A breast, especially a woman's breast.

Definition in French

Partie supérieure du corps humain, située entre le cou et la taille, incluant le buste.

Word origin

The word entered French from Italian torso, ultimately linked with medieval Latin torsus and Latin torquere, 'to twist'; art helped establish its sense for a sculpted trunk.

Usage tips

  • In torse nu, nu agrees with the masculine noun torse; feminine forms such as poitrine nue use nue instead.

Other meanings

  • torsonoun
  • chestnoun

Opposites

  • bas du corpslower bodynoun

Word lists with this word