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  • et
    et
    verb
    a simple past tense of eat.
  • Et
    Et
    ethyl.
  • -et
    -et
    a noun suffix having properly a diminutive force (now lost in many words): chalet; islet; owlet; tablet.
  • e.t.
    e.t.
    abbreviation
    electrical transcription.
  • E.T.
    E.T.
    abbreviation
  • ET
    ET
    abbreviation
    Employment Training: a government scheme offering training in technological and business skills to unemployed people
Synonyms

et

1 American  
[et] / ɛt /

verb

Nonstandard: Chiefly North Atlantic, South Midland, and Southern U.S.
  1. a simple past tense of eat.


et 2 American  
[et] / ɛt /

conjunction

Latin.
  1. and.


Et 3 American  
Symbol, Chemistry.
  1. ethyl.


-et 4 American  
  1. a noun suffix having properly a diminutive force (now lost in many words): chalet; islet; owlet; tablet.


e.t. 5 American  

abbreviation

  1. electrical transcription.


E.T. 6 American  
Or ET
ET 1 British  

abbreviation

  1. Employment Training: a government scheme offering training in technological and business skills to unemployed people

  2. Egypt (international car registration)

"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

-et 2 British  

suffix

  1. small or lesser

    islet

    baronet

"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

Et 3 British  

symbol

  1. ethyl

"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

et 4 British  

abbreviation

  1. Ethiopia

"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

Etymology

Origin of -et

Middle English, from Old French -et (masculine), -ette (feminine)

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.

See Examples For:

The store, Asanti, filed for bankruptcy in 2010, and his wife started a new business, Mimi et Cie, LLC, which he eventually took over.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 31, 2026

The Mimi et Cie store closed in late 2024.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 31, 2026

While Pele, Messi et al are rightly regarded as the best male players ever, Fontaine is now a piece of trivia.

From BBC Jul. 13, 2026

Madison, Hamilton, et al. would wonder at our credulous view of human nature.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 1, 2026

“Oh no, et tu, Brute? You were my last hope. With By and Joey and your mother popping up every few minutes asking ‘Are we there yet?’ it’s been like a stuck record.”

From "The Watsons Go to Birmingham" by Christopher Paul Curtis

Jarunee Phosawad came from Roi Et in eastern Thailand to oversee the cremation of her cousin Kochaporn Sotharat's body and the return home of her ashes.

From Barron's Jul. 14, 2026

Et cetera, et cetera, and so on and so forth.

From Slate Feb. 7, 2026

It was like, “Oh why, God. Et tu, Jeff?”

From Los Angeles Times Apr. 11, 2025

On Tuesday morning, Jeff Clark, an assistant attorney in the Trump administration, wrote on Twitter: "Disappointing. Et tu Chik-fil-a?"

From Salon Jun. 1, 2023

“Oh,” says Mirren lightly, “you know. Natter natter, least favorite daughter, natter natter, the kitchen is such crap. Why won’t Granddad remodel it? Et cetera.”

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart

There are also at least two past participles in -et, as slenget, 1923, grethet, 2615, to which add weddeth, beddeth, 1127, In l. 2057, knawed seems put for knawen, for the rime’s sake.

From The Lay of Havelok the Dane by Unknown

Instead of -eth we even find -et, as in herknet, 1.

From The Lay of Havelok the Dane by Unknown

To sleep = dorm‑i; suf. -et denotes light sleep; pref. ek- denotes beginning. 7Distracting.

From International Language Past, Present and Future: With Specimens of Esperanto and Grammar by Walter John Clark

Esperant‑o, Esperanto. est‑i, to be. -et, suffix denoting little. etend‑i, to stretch.

From International Language Past, Present and Future: With Specimens of Esperanto and Grammar by Walter John Clark

The verbs belonging to this class form their preterite in -ete and their past participle in -et.

From A Middle High German Primer Third Edition by Joseph Wright

The film marks a return to the theme of aliens for Spielberg, who previously directed E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

From BBC Jun. 6, 2026

Is it worth paying 0.99% a year for an ETF tailor-made for E.T.?

From The Wall Street Journal May 22, 2026

Highlife's layered guitars, horn sections and storytelling have shaped national identity for more than a century, popularised by legends such as E.T.

From Barron's Jan. 9, 2026

“I know E.T. wanted to go home, but I hope that if the movie took place in 2024 that my favorite extra terrestrial would come to my party instead.”

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 1, 2024

“I’ll bet you start bawling every time E.T. dies, don’t you?”

From "Fourth Grade Rats" by Jerry Spinelli

ET, but no comment on who I’m rooting for.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 19, 2026

A permit for the events on Thursday and Friday obtained by the Associated Press said about 100 guests would start arriving around 17:30 ET for a "pre-party night", which would go until 22:30 ET.

From BBC Jul. 3, 2026

ET: This piece has been updated to reflect a new statement from Mitch McConnell’s office.

From Slate Jul. 2, 2026

ET before participating in policy meetings at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 22, 2026

The British say ET, but we say EIGHT.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

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