Torse
noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A twist of cloth or wreath, typically placed underneath and forming part of a crest (as an orle or wreath) and customarily shown with six twists, the first tincture being the tincture of the field, the second the tincture of the metal, and so on; rarely, it occurs as a charge.
- 2 The torso. obsolete
"To Painters, for the picturing of ſome exquiſit arme, leg, torſe or wreathing of the body, or any other rare poſture, whether ſmooth or forced."
Example
More examples"To Painters, for the picturing of ſome exquiſit arme, leg, torſe or wreathing of the body, or any other rare poſture, whether ſmooth or forced."
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle French torse (“wreath”), from Latin torqueō (“to twist”). Doublet of trousse and truss.
Etymology 2
From French torse, from Italian torso, from Latin thyrsus. Doublet of thyrse, thyrsus, and torso.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.