noun
slim waist; willowy figure
Describes a slender, graceful waist like a willow branch; often used in literary or poetic contexts to praise a woman's figure.
彼女の柳腰は、着物姿でいっそう引き立つ。
Her willowy waist is even more striking in a kimono.
「柳腰」はもともと、柳の木の幹のくびれを指す言葉だった。
Originally, '柳腰' referred to the narrowing of a willow tree's trunk.
Compound of 柳 (willow) and 腰 (waist), originally describing the shape of a willow trunk. The figurative sense of a slender human waist developed from this natural image.