Meanings
plural modesty pieces
- historicalA piece of lace or other fabric worn over a woman's dress to cover the bosom.
Now, sir, what I have to communicate to you at present is, that at a late meeting of the stripping ladies, in which were present several eminent toasts and beauties, it was resolved for the future to lay the modesty-piece wholly aside
July 27, 1711, Leonilla Figleaf, letter to Spectator No. 118Synonyms: modesty bit
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA piece of lace or other fabric worn over a woman's dress to cover the bosom.
Cite this entry
modesty piece. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modesty%20piece
“modesty piece.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modesty%20piece. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “modesty piece,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/modesty%20piece.
Source: modesty piece on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.