demoiselle

American  

[dem-wuh-zel, dem-uh-, duh-mwa-zel] / ˌdɛm wəˈzɛl, ˌdɛm ə-, də mwaˈzɛl /

noun

plural

demoiselles

1. an unmarried girl or young woman.

2. demoiselle crane.

3. a damselfly, especially of the genus Agrion.

4. damselfish.

5. Furniture. a lady's wig stand of the 18th century, in the form of a pedestal table.

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demoiselle British  

/ dəmwɑːˈzɛl /

noun

1. Also called: demoiselle crane.   Numidian crane.  a small crane, Anthropoides virgo, of central Asia, N Africa, and SE Europe, having grey plumage with long black breast feathers and white ear tufts

2. a less common name for a damselfly

3. another name for damselfish

4. a literary word for damsel

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Etymology

Origin of demoiselle

From French, dating back to 1760–70; see origin at damsel

Example Sentences

SAT Assam Rhino Reserve special exhibition of two young rhinos and their native neighbors, Asian brown tortoises and demoiselle cranes, opening celebration festivities, keeper talks, family activities, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

From Seattle Times • May 3, 2018

The zoo’s new reserve will showcase the greater one-horned rhinos, also known as Indian rhinos, Asian brown tortoises and demoiselle cranes.

From Washington Times • Apr. 10, 2018

After we ate that night, the demoiselle happily took three containers of bisque back to her rented double shotgun home to feed the other tenants.

From The Guardian • Jul. 11, 2015

Founded as World War II was ending, it thrived thanks to an emerging demographic category: the demoiselle or Junior Miss, as memorialized by the writer Sally Benson in The New Yorker.

From New York Times • Mar. 25, 2014

One writer marveled at Osage girls who attended the best boarding schools and wore sumptuous French clothing, as if “une très jolie demoiselle of the Paris boulevards had inadvertently strayed into this little reservation town.”

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann