petit-maître

noun

pe·​tit-maî·​tre pə-ˌtē-ˈmātrᵊ How to pronounce petit-maître (audio)
plural petits-maîtres pə-ˌtē-ˈmātrᵊ How to pronounce petit-maître (audio)
: dandy, fop

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, small master

First Known Use

1711, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of petit-maître was in 1711

Dictionary Entries Near petit-maître

Cite this Entry

“Petit-maître.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/petit-ma%C3%AEtre. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on petit-maître

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!