mignonette

[ min-yuh-net ]

noun

1. a plant, Reseda odorata, common in gardens, having racemes of small, fragrant, greenish-white flowers with prominent orange anthers.
2. a grayish green resembling the color of a reseda plant.

mignonette

/ ˌmɪnjəˈnɛt /

noun

1. any of various mainly Mediterranean plants of the resedaceous genus Reseda, such as R. odorata ( garden mignonette ), that have spikes of small greenish-white flowers with prominent anthers
2. a type of fine pillow lace

adjective

1. 1. of a greyish-green colour; reseda
   2. (as modifier)

      mignonette ribbons

Word History and Origins

Origin of mignonette¹

From French, dating back to 1690–1700; mignon, -ette

Word History and Origins

Origin of mignonette¹

C18: from French, diminutive of mignon

Example Sentences

With unadorned raw oysters or oysters and mignonette, the classics — Muscadet, Chablis and Sancerre — are all wonderful.

From New York Times

She and David McQueen, the restaurant’s director of operations, had also provided sliced lemons and a mignonette of shallots and vinegar.

From New York Times

Place a few tiny shucked oysters in each jigger, and drizzle with a bit of mignonette, a classic chilled sauce for raw oysters, made with red wine vinegar, shallots and cracked black pepper.

From Seattle Times

The Walrus packs them in ice pebbles with mignonette, fresh horseradish and lemon, and the satisfaction of making your own arrangement — working for it — is much bigger than the bivalves themselves.

From Seattle Times

Relatively easy to recycle, glass was selected for the mignonette accompanying takeout oysters.

From Washington Post