grisette

[ gri-zet ]

/ grɪˈzɛt /

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noun

a young French workingwoman.

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Origin of grisette

1690–1700; <French, equivalent to gris gray (see griseous) + -ette-ette; originally a cheap gray fabric, or dress made of such fabric, worn by young working women in the garment trade

OTHER WORDS FROM grisette

gri·set·tish, adjective

Words nearby grisette

Gris, grisaille, Griselda, griseofulvin, griseous, grisette, gris-gris, Grisham, Grishun, griskin, grisly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use grisette in a sentence

The uneducated yet infinitely charming and loyal grisette was the good angel of Heine's later years.
A History of the Nineteenth Century, Year by Year|Edwin Emerson
"Yes, I am as good as an actress or a grisette," she said in a voice that trembled, though she spoke lightly.
Parisians in the Country|Honore de Balzac
How could I be such a fool as to suppose that, with a few shreds and patches of finery, I could make a fine lady of a grisette?
In the Days of My Youth|Amelia Ann Blandford Edwards
The grisette from a certain point of view is the chef-d'oeuvre of Parisian industry; the bouquet of Parisian civilization.
In the Days of My Youth|Amelia Ann Blandford Edwards

In her white cap and muslin gown, the Parisian grisette is simply delicious.
In the Days of My Youth|Amelia Ann Blandford Edwards

British Dictionary definitions for grisette

grisette

/ (ɡrɪˈzɛt) /

noun

(esp formerly) a French working-class girl, esp a pretty or flirtatious one

an edible toadstool of the genus Amanita of broad-leaved and birch woods

Word Origin for grisette

C18: from French, from grisette grey fabric used for dresses, from gris grey

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