-ette

Etymology

From Middle English -ette, a borrowing from Old French -ette, the feminine form of the diminutive suffix -et.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛt/

Suffix

-ette

1. Used to form nouns meaning a smaller form of something.

   cigar + ‎-ette → ‎cigarette

   kitchen + ‎-ette → ‎kitchenette

   disk + ‎-ette → ‎diskette

2. Used to form nouns meaning the female equivalent of.

   major + ‎-ette → ‎majorette

   bachelor + ‎-ette → ‎bachelorette

   smurf + ‎-ette → ‎Smurfette

3. Used to form nouns meaning an imitation or substitute of something.

   leather + ‎-ette → ‎leatherette

4. (Polari) Used to form nouns with a Polari context or an association with gay subculture.
   • 1967, Kenneth Williams as Sandy, “Gaslight Son of Flicker”, in Round the Horne, written by Barry Took and Marty Feldman:

     You may have vada'd one of our tiny bijou masterpiecettes, heartface.

   • 2002, O'Neill, Gilda, The Sins Of Their Fathers (Eastend Trilogy; 1):

     'Shame, eh, my little cherry? I was really bonar for him and all. It'll be a lonely old arthur for me tonight as usual. Ah well, let's have another little drinkette then, shall we? And perhaps, Poppett,' he sighed histrionically. 'I'll learn to keep my queeny old polari for them what appreciates it. Or for them what admints it,'

Anagrams

• teet

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛt/

Suffix

-ette f (masculine -et)

1. feminine equivalent of -et

Pronunciation 1

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛt.te/

Pronunciation 2

• IPA^(key): /ˈet.te/

Suffix

-ette

1. -et, -ette (diminutive suffix forming feminine nouns and adjectives)

Suffix

-ette

1. (late Old French) Alternative form of -ete