baguette
Americannoun
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a long, narrow loaf of French bread.
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Jewelry.
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a rectangular shape given to a small gem, especially a diamond, by cutting and polishing.
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a gem having this shape.
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Architecture. a small convex molding, especially one of semicircular section.
noun
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a narrow French stick loaf
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a small gem cut as a long rectangle
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the shape of such a gem
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architect a small moulding having a semicircular cross section
Etymology
Origin of baguette
First recorded in 1720–30; from French, from Italian bacchetta “little stick,” equivalent to bacch(io) “stick” (from Latin baculus “stick, walking stick, scepter”) + -etta -ette
Explanation
A baguette is a long, thin loaf of French bread. Your mom might ask you to buy a baguette at the bakery on your way home for dinner. Baguettes are distinctive because of their shape, and if they're baked well, they have a crisp crust and a soft interior. In the 1700s, the word baguette referred only to rod-like architectural details, though by the mid-20th century, it also meant "bread." In French, baguette means "wand, rod, or baton," and it appears in "magic wand," or baguette magique, as well as "chopsticks," baguettes chinoises.
Vocabulary lists containing baguette
Stairway To Leaven: Baking Vocabulary
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Power Suffix: -ette
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World Cuisine - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Matijevich recommends enjoying bowls of clam chowder with your favorite crusty bread, like focaccia or toasted slices of baguette.
From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026
She had sliced and toasted the baguette, and pre-grated a small mountain of aged Gruyère.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
Bread, especially the baguette, is a staple in French diets but also a major source of salt, traditionally accounting for about 25% of the recommended daily intake.
From Science Daily • Jan. 31, 2026
Bánh mì is a Vietnamese sandwich served in a baguette, typically filled with meat, pate, pickles and spicy sauces.
From BBC • Jun. 27, 2025
No one will know that the counter on which he slices the evening’s baguette only recently supported a fainting woman—and decide to reward her with a medal for bravery.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
