noun

le buste

bust

Partie du corps humain qui comprend la poitrine, le dos et le ventre, sans les bras, les jambes ni la tête. C’est aussi une sculpture représentant seulement cette portion du corps.

Word: buste

Language: French


Meaning:

  1. Bust (sculpture or art)

    • Refers to a sculpted representation of a person's head, shoulders, and upper chest. It is often a form of portraiture used in art and can be found in statues, statues in museums, or classical works.
  2. Upper body

    • Refers to the upper part of the human torso, including the chest, shoulders, and neck but excluding the arms and head. In everyday language, "buste" can mean the chest area or the figure of the upper body.

Parts:

  • The word "buste" comes from the Italian "busto," which itself derives from the Latin "bustum" (funeral pyre), but in modern French, it specifically means the upper torso or a sculpture of it.

Synonyms:

  • For the sculptural sense:

    • Statue partielle (partial statue)
    • Portrait sculpté (sculpted portrait)
  • For the anatomical sense:

    • Torso (torse)
    • Poitrine (chest)
    • Haut du corps (upper body)

Antonyms:

  • Given "buste" means upper torso or bust, antonyms might be:
    • Bas du corps (lower body)
    • Jambes (legs)

For the sculptural "buste," there is no direct antonym but possibly a full statue (statue pleine) could be considered opposite versus just the bust portion.


Additional notes:

  • The term "buste" is common in art history, anatomy, and fashion (e.g., mesure du buste for bust measurement in clothes fitting).
  • In everyday language, buste can refer to someone's chest or figure as well.

Make “buste” part of your vocabulary.

Build your French vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.

Examples

Un buste en marbre est sur la table.noun

A marble bust is on the table.

Keep exploring French

Learn words from the content you love.

Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).