monokini

M3O1N1O1K5I1N1I1
UK/mɒnə(ʊ)ˈkiːni/US/mɑ.noʊˈki.ni/

noun

The lower part of a bikini without the upper part (i.e., topless).

UncommonScrabble 14

Meanings

nounmonokini (plural monokinis)

plural monokinis

  1. The lower part of a bikini without the upper part (i.e., topless).

    In fact, the San Francisco Chronicle featured a photo of a woman in a monokini — her exposed breasts clearly visible — on its front page.

    2016, David Allyn, Make Love, Not War: The Sexual Revolution: An Unfettered History, →ISBN
    2 more examples

    All this so impressed the Appellate Court in Aix-en-Provence that it reversed the convictions. "Inasmuch as the spectacle of the nudity of the human body has nothing intrinsic in it that would outrage normal, even delicate decency, and since Claudine Durand concealed her sexual parts with a sufficiently opaque monokini, we acquit her."

    1965 March 12, “Topless Triumph”, in Time

    French academics and historians have spent the early summer months pondering the sociological meaning of the demise of France's once-favourite piece of beachwear, the "monokini" – the bottom half of a bikini with no top.

    2009 July 22, Angelique Crisafis, “France Falls Out of Love with Topless Sunbathing”, in The Guardian
  2. A one-piece swimsuit, which may cover both the chest and the crotch (as contrasted with a bikini, which consists of two pieces).

    [Psylocke is] wearing a mix between a monokini and cut-out swimwear, a wardrobe change[.]

    2014, Joseph J. Darowski, The Ages of the X-Men: Essays on the Children of the Atom, →ISBN
    1 more example

    “Calvin, you know you can't stay.” “I know. I was kicked out. Just because, one time, I hired a Borat impersonator to come to a meeting and strip down to his monokini. Sorry for wanting to bring a little joy to the OABA.” “He kept saying everything was "wah-wah-wee-wah" and "very nice." It was disruptive. Out.” “Well then, so long, Ocean Avenue "Busy-body Ass-ociation."” “That's a better name.”

    2026 May 17, Dan Fybel, “Smellbound” (4:25 from the start), in Bob's Burgers, season 16, episode 15, spoken by Calvin Fischoeder (Kevin Kline)

Origin

  1. Frenchmonokini
  2. Englishmonokini

Borrowed from French monokini or simply mono- + -kini, punningly reinterpreting the first syllable of "bikini" as the prefix bi-.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch monokini
  • monokinibikini worn without the upper part
Finnish monokini
  • monokinibikini worn without the upper part
French monokini
  • monokinibikini worn without the upper part
German Monokini
  • Monokinibikini worn without the upper part
Hungarian monokini
  • monokinibikini worn without the upper part
Italian monokini
  • monokinibikini worn without the upper part
Japanese モノキニ
  • モノキニ (monokini)bikini worn without the upper part
Korean 모노키니
  • 모노키니 (monokini)bikini worn without the upper part
Polish monokini
  • monokinibikini worn without the upper part
Portuguese monoquíni
  • monoquínibikini worn without the upper part
Spanish monoquini
  • monoquinibikini worn without the upper part
Swedish monokini
  • monokinibikini worn without the upper part

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with monokini

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

monokini. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monokini

MLA

“monokini.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monokini. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “monokini,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/monokini.

Source: monokini on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.