bryst

Bryst is a noun used in Danish and Norwegian to denote the front part of the body between the neck and the abdomen. In everyday language it can refer to the chest as a whole or, especially in women, to the breasts. In medical contexts, bryst commonly corresponds to the anatomical chest or thorax, and is used in phrases such as brystet gjorde vondt (the chest hurt). The Swedish cognate is bröst, while Danish and Norwegian spell it bryst.

Etymology: The term derives from Old Norse brjóst and is related to other Germanic words for chest or breast. Cognates include Danish bryst, Norwegian bryst, and Swedish bröst.

Anatomy and usage: The chest houses the thoracic cavity, which contains the heart and lungs, and is protected by the rib cage (brystkassen). The pectoral muscles lie on the chest wall; in women the breast contains mammary glands. Specific terms include brystvorte (nipple). In everyday speech, the exact meaning of bryst is determined by context and can shift between “chest” and “breast.”

Nuance and related terms: In English, the distinction between chest and breast is clear in many contexts, and in Scandinavian usage bryst often covers both senses, with more precise terms used in medical or anatomical writing (for example, thorax for the chest, mammary glands for breast tissue). The word is part of common phrases describing bodily health, appearance, and movement of the upper torso.