constriction; narrow part
General term for a part that is narrower than the surrounding area, such as the neck of a bottle or an hourglass shape.
この花瓶は真ん中にくびれがある。
This vase has a constriction in the middle.
waist; narrow waist
Especially refers to a woman's slim waist; often used in contexts of body shape or fashion.
See also: 腰のくびれ
彼女はくびれの美しいドレスを着ている。
She is wearing a dress that accentuates her beautiful waist.
This bottle has a beautiful narrowing in its shape.
After continuing to exercise, I developed a defined waistline.
I want to train my abs to create a slim waist.
くびれ describes a narrowing or indentation, while 膨らみ describes a bulge or swelling outward, the opposite shape.
くびれ (a narrow constriction, like a waist) is easily confused by sound with 首 (neck), a body part, though the two words are unrelated in meaning.
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 括れ is rare.
Kanji spelling; rarely used in practice.
Derived from the verb くびれる (to be constricted). The kanji 括 is used for its meaning of 'tie' or 'bind', but the word is usually written in kana.