minaudière
or min·au·diere
[ mee-noh-dyair; French mee-noh-dyer ]
/ ˌmi noʊˈdyɛər; French mi noʊˈdyɛr /
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noun, plural min·au·dieres [mee-noh-dyairz; French mee-noh-dyer]. /ˌmi noʊˈdyɛərz; French mi noʊˈdyɛr/.
a small, sometimes jeweled case for a woman's cosmetics or other personal objects, often carried as a handbag.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of minaudière
First recorded in 1935–40 (earlier in sense “coquette”); from French minaudière originally, “coquette, person with affected manners,” noun use of feminine of minaudier “affected,” equivalent to minaud(er) “to have an affected manner” (verbal derivative, with -aud adjective suffix, of mine “facial expression,” probably from Breton min “muzzle”) + -ier; see ribald, -ier2
Words nearby minaudière
Minas Basin, Minas de Ríotinto, Minas Gerais, Minatitlán, minatory, minaudière, mince, minced oath, mince matters, mincemeat, mince pie
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023