baguette

American  

[ba-get] / bæˈgɛt /

Or baguet

noun

1. a long, narrow loaf of French bread.

2. Jewelry.

   1. a rectangular shape given to a small gem, especially a diamond, by cutting and polishing.

   2. a gem having this shape.

3. Architecture. a small convex molding, especially one of semicircular section.

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baguette British  

/ bæˈɡɛt /

noun

1. a narrow French stick loaf

2. a small gem cut as a long rectangle

3. the shape of such a gem

4. architect a small moulding having a semicircular cross section

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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.

Related Words

• bauble
• bead
• bling
• gem
• gemstone
• ornament
• stone
• trinket