Waist

s.. (gwase, Welsh.) 1.. The -smallest. part of the body; the part below the ribs ( Milton). Waist, in ship-building, that part of a ship which is contained between the quarterdeck and forecastle, being usually a hollow space, with an ascent of several, steps to either of those places. When the waist of a mer- -chan i-ship is only one or two steps of descent from the quarter-deck and fore-castle, she is -said to be galley-built 5 but when with six or seven steps, she is cailed frigate-built.