minaudière

American  

[mee-noh-dyair, mee-noh-dyer] / ˌmi noʊˈdyɛər, mi noʊˈdyɛr /

Or minaudiere

noun

minaudieres plural

1. a small, sometimes jeweled case for a woman's cosmetics or other personal objects, often carried as a handbag.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• minaudieres
  plural

Etymology

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, -ier ²

Example Sentences

This minaudière from Schiaparelli features a gold-plated metal chain and rhinestone piercing, bringing the idea of a statement bag to levels unheard of.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Per Vogue, there’s Hubert de Givenchy’s 1953 “salt white” dress embroidered with sliced tomatoes, Cynthia Rowley’s 1993 tomato-printed rayon dress and Judith Leiber’s tomato rhinestone minaudière circa 1994.

From Salon • Jun. 29, 2025