demimondaine

[ dem-ee-mon-deyn; French duh-mee-mawn-den ]

noun

, plural dem·i·mon·daines [dem-ee-mon-, deynz, d, uh, -mee-maw, n, -, den].

1. a woman of the demimonde.

adjective

1. of or relating to the demimonde.

demimondaine

/ ˌdɛmɪˈmɒndeɪn; dəmimɔ̃dɛn /

noun

1. a woman of the demimonde

Word History and Origins

Origin of demimondaine¹

1890–95; < French, equivalent to demimonde demimonde + -aine feminine adj. suffix < Latin -āna -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of demimondaine¹

C19: from French

Example Sentences

A demimondaine with a shocking reputation, by the time of her death, in 1954, Colette was an institution, the first French woman of letters ever honored with a state funeral.

From New York Times

Oren, more interested in small gestures than gleaming sound, begins the first scene with bumptious brasses and a breakneck tempo that make the room spin, spelling disaster for Verdi’s hard-partying demimondaine.

From New York Times

And for R&R, where else would a gay Jewish Christian spend a weekend than with the Princess Ghika, formerly known as Liane de Pougy, the most beautiful demimondaine of her generation?

From Washington Post

As a result of a profoundly failed project, I have a deep shelf of books by belle époque French courtesans and demimondaines.

From New York Times

Ladies maybe not of the evening, but definitely ladies of the demimondaine, to turn a phrase like my friend Beatrice would.

From The Verge