# bikini

> English word · Noun · IPA /bɪˈkiː.ni/ · frequency rank #11,172

## Definitions
1. A brief two-piece bathing suit worn by women, especially one that exposes the midriff and navel.
2. A brief bathing suit covering only the pelvis (equivalent to the bottom portion of a two-piece bikini), worn by any gender.
3. Brief underpants or trousers that reach to the hips rather than the waist.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Marshallese pik
Marshallese ni
Marshallese Pikinnibor.
German Bikinibor.
English Bikinibor.
French Bikini
French bikinibor.
English bikini
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.

## Easily confused with
- **biting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bikini-vs-biting)
- **Birkin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bikini-vs-birkin)
- **baking** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/baking-vs-bikini)
- **biking** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/biking-vs-bikini)

## Common misspellings (8)
`bbikini`, `biikni`, `bikiin`, `bikinni`, `bikkini`, `biknii`, `bkiini`, `ibkini`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bikini