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grisette

American  
[gri-zet] / grɪˈzɛt /

noun

  1. a young French workingwoman.


grisette British  
/ ɡrɪˈzɛt /

noun

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

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

"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

Other Word Forms


Etymology

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


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:

Anne Hathaway, who plays the fallen grisette Fantine, first saw the musical at age 8, when her mother appeared in a touring production.

From Slate ● Dec. 24, 2012

You may, like Twain, have signally failed to track down a single grisette in Paris: "For three or four days I was constantly saying, 'Quick Fergusson, is that a grisette?' and he always said no."

From The Guardian ● Mar. 5, 2011

Do you suppose I am going to put myself out to see this grisette?

From Fr?d?rique; vol. 2 by Charles Paul de Kock

The grisette carries out her plan: she puts her clothes in pawn, without regret or melancholy.

From Fr?d?rique; vol. 1 by Charles Paul de Kock

The bell rang; I opened the door instantly: it was my grisette, in the same costume as on the day of our first meeting, and with a no less affable expression.

From Fr?d?rique; vol. 2 by Charles Paul de Kock

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