Standard Lemma guide

-ette

suffix · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /-ɛt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: -et

1

suffix

Meaning 1

Used to form nouns meaning a smaller form of something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: diminutive, morpheme

Examples

  • cigar + -ette → cigarette
  • disk + -ette → diskette
  • kitchen + -ette → kitchenette

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: -cule, -ee, -el, -et, -icle, -ie, -kin, -le, -let, -ling, -ole, -ule, -y, mini-, micro-, nano-

Antonyms: none provided

2

suffix

Meaning 2

Used to form nouns meaning or implying the female equivalent of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: morpheme

Examples

  • bachelor + -ette → bachelorette
  • drum major + -ette → drum majorette
  • ranger + -ette → Rangerette
  • smurf + -ette → Smurfette

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

suffix

Meaning 3

Used to form nouns meaning an imitation or substitute of something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: morpheme

Examples

  • leather + -ette → leatherette

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

suffix

Meaning 4

Used to form nouns with a Polari context or an association with gay subculture.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Polari, morpheme

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

suffix

Meaning 5

Used to form nouns and adjectives signifying a person, especially a woman, with the specified hair color.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: morpheme

Topics: fiction, literature, media, publishing

Examples

  • purple + -ette → purplette
  • raven + -ette → ravenette

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tosder.? Latin -ittus Old French -ettebor. Middle English -ette English -ette Inherited from Middle English -ette, borrowed from Old French -ette, from Latin -ittus.

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bherH-? Proto-Germanic *brūnaz Frankish *brūnbor. Old French brun Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tosder.? Late Latin -ittus Old French -et Old French brunet Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-eh2 Proto-Italic *-ā Latin -am Old French -e Old French brunete French brunettebor. English brunettebf. English -ette Back-formation from brunette.