Corsage: Etymology from French "Bodice" to Floral Accessory

Corsage derives from French corsage (“bodice,” the upper part of a woman’s dress). Originally referring to the bodice itself, the term shifted to mean a bouquet of flowers pinned to the bodice, and later to the wrist or dress as a formal accessory.

First recorded in English (1881) describing a live goose kept as a regimental mascot—illustrating how “mascot” and “corsage” both evolved from objects symbolizing luck or adornment.