-ette


  1. a noun suffix occurring originally in loanwords from French, where it has been used in a variety of hypocoristic formations (brunette; cigarette; coquette; etiquette; rosette); as an English suffix, -ette forms diminutives (kitchenette; novelette; sermonette), distinctively feminine nouns (majorette; usherette), and names of imitation products (leatherette).

Origin of -ette

1
From French, feminine of -et noun suffix; see -et

usage note For -ette

English nouns in which the suffix -ette designates a feminine role or identity have been perceived by many people as implying inferiority or insignificance: bachelorette; drum majorette; farmerette; suffragette; usherette. Of these terms, only drum majorette —or sometimes just majorette —is still widely used, usually applied to one of a group of young women who perform baton twirling with a marching band. A woman or man who actually leads a band is a drum major. Baton twirler is often used instead of ( drum ) majorette. Farmer, suffragist, and usher are applied to both men and women, thus avoiding any trivializing effect of the -ette ending. See also -enne, -ess, -trix.

Words Nearby -ette

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use -ette in a sentence

  • La-fay-ette gave chase the next day and took post nine miles from his camp.

    The Life of George Washington | Josephine Pollard
  • In three days he had to leave the dear old place, and with his guests push on to join La-fay-ette, who was at Will-iams-burg.

    The Life of George Washington | Josephine Pollard

British Dictionary definitions for -ette

-ette

suffix forming nouns
  1. small: cigarette; kitchenette

  2. female: majorette; suffragette

  1. (esp in trade names) imitation: Leatherette

Origin of -ette

1
from French, feminine of -et

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012