wasp-waisted girl
Archaic term for a girl with a very slender waist, likened to the narrow waist of a potter wasp. Found in classical literature and poetry.
The term 蜾蠃少女 is an old expression found in Heian-period waka poetry and similar works.
Literary term for a slender waist, but not specifically tied to the wasp metaphor or the archaic girl image.
Archaic literary term; the kanji 蜾蠃 (potter wasp) and 少女 (girl) are used for their meaning. The spelling 蜾蠃乙女 is also attested.
Variant spelling using 乙女 (maiden) instead of 少女 (girl).
From 蜾蠃 (すがる, potter wasp) + 少女 (おとめ, girl), referring to the wasp's characteristic narrow waist. The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it appears in classical Japanese poetry.