demoiselle
Americannoun
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an unmarried girl or young woman.
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a damselfly, especially of the genus Agrion.
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Furniture. a lady's wig stand of the 18th century, in the form of a pedestal table.
noun
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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
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a less common name for a damselfly
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another name for damselfish
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a literary word for damsel
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of demoiselle
From French, dating back to 1760–70; see origin at damsel
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.
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
“Quel nom a cette jeune demoiselle en les pantoufles jolis?”
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
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.
