bijou
Americannoun
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a jewel.
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something small, delicate, and exquisitely wrought.
noun
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something small and delicately worked, such as a trinket
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ironic (modifier) small but elegant and tasteful
a bijou residence
Etymology
Origin of bijou
1660–70; < French < Breton bizou (jeweled) ring, derivative of biz finger; cognate with Cornish bisou finger-ring, derivative of bis finger
Explanation
A bijou is a small, intricately crafted item, often used to describe elegant jewelry. It can also refer to a charming, cozy place, like a beautifully decorated apartment. Bijou is a versatile word that comes from French, meaning "jewel." As a noun, it often refers to a small, elegant piece of jewelry, like a lovely brooch or a finely crafted ring. As an adjective, bijou describes something that is charmingly small or exquisitely made. Imagine a cozy café filled with delightful decorations or a beautifully designed piece of art — both can be called bijou.
Vocabulary lists containing bijou
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.
"We've kind of wanted to stay a very bijou, boutique studio... we're not too big, we're quite keen to stay a sensible size where everyone can feel like they're involved."
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
“Watermark is also a must,” says Maul of the bijou bookstore.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 16, 2022
We do not wonder that Mr. Morton’s face beams in satisfaction when he contemplates the result of his labors to make his new “club house” the bijou of the town.
From Slate • Jun. 2, 2019
It was a bijou steak house compared to the wood-panelled leviathans they would eventually launch.
From The Guardian • Mar. 17, 2019
Such republicanism had been the very mainspring of life at the bijou.
From Ayala's Angel by Trollope, Anthony
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.
