debut

or dé·but

[dey-byoo, di-, dey-byoo, deb-yoo]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR debut ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a first public appearance on a stage, on television, etc.

the first appearance of something, as a new product.

(of a young woman) a formal introduction and entrance into society, as at an annual ball.

the beginning of a profession, career, etc.

verb (used without object)

to make a debut, as in society or in a performing art: She decided to debut with several other violinists.

to appear for the first time, as on the market: A new product will debut next month.

verb (used with object)

to perform (something) for the first time before an audience: He didn't know when the orchestra would debut his new symphony.

to place on the market for the first time; introduce.

adjective

of, relating to, or constituting a first appearance: a debut performance; a debut record album.

Origin of debut

1745–55; < French début, derivative of débuter to make the first stroke in a game, make one's first appearance, equivalent to dé- de- + -buter, verbal derivative of but goal; see butt²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for debut

introduction, beginning, inauguration, appearance, presentation, opener, entrance, incoming, admission, graduation, bow, initiation, graduating, entree

Examples from the Web for debut

Contemporary Examples of debut

I enjoyed it, but thought it paled in comparison to their debut.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness
Marlow Stern
January 7, 2015
The brother of a girl who made her debut in New Orleans society was shaking his fists in excitement.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise
Jason Berry
January 3, 2015
Forty-two years after its debut, The Godfather casts a long shadow over American cinema.
The Alterna-‘Godfather’: ‘A Most Violent Year’
Nick Schager
December 30, 2014
It was creative thinking like this that helped it debut at number one on Billboard Top Heatseekers Chart.
OK Go Is Helping Redefine the Music Video For the Internet Age
Lauren Schwartzberg
December 15, 2014
The classic film that opens with a tornado sweeping through a Kansas farm made its debut 75 years ago in 1939.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: November 2
PunditFact.com
November 2, 2014

Historical Examples of debut

There will be no peace between us until I have made my debut.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
Never was debut so successful, as Chloe's first appearance in Camden Place.
The Widow's Dog
Mary Russell Mitford
The occasion is that of a lifetime; it is their uniki, their debut.
Unwritten Literature of Hawaii
Nathaniel Bright Emerson
Emma made her toilet with the fastidious care of an actress on her debut.
Madame Bovary
Gustave Flaubert
I think that was not so very long after the Mikado made its debut.
A Portrait of Old George Town
Grace Dunlop Ecker

British Dictionary definitions for debut

debut

noun

the first public appearance of an actor, musician, etc, or the first public presentation of a show
(as modifier)debut album

the presentation of a debutante

verb (intr)

to make a debut

Word Origin for debut

C18: from French début, from Old French desbuter to play first (hence: make one's first appearance), from des- de- + but goal, target; see butt ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for debut

1751, from French début "first appearance," a figurative use from débuter "make the first stroke at billiards," also "to lead off at bowls" (a game akin to bowling), 16c., from but "mark, goal," from Old French but "end" (see butt (n.3)). The verb is first attested 1830.

Début can only be pronounced as French, and should not be used by anyone who shrinks from the necessary effort. [Fowler]