-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 ).

-ette

suffix forming nouns

1. small

   cigarette

   kitchenette

2. female

   majorette

   suffragette

3. (esp in trade names) imitation

   Leatherette

Gender Note

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. -enne, -ess, -trix.

Word History and Origins

Origin of -ette¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of -ette¹

from French, feminine of -et