midinette

[ mid-n-et; French mee-dee-net ]
/ ˌmɪd nˈɛt; French mi diˈnɛt /

noun, plural mid·i·nettes [mid-n-ets; French mee-dee-net] /ˌmɪd nˈɛts; French mi diˈnɛt/.

a young Parisian saleswoman or seamstress.

Origin of midinette

1905–10; < French, blend of midi noon and dînette light meal (see dinner, -ette); hence, one who has time for only a light meal at noon, with play on -ette as a feminine personal suffix, as in grisette grisette

Words nearby midinette

midi system, midi-, midi-pyrénées, midian, midianite, midinette, midiron, midiskirt, midland, midlander, midlands

Example sentences from the Web for midinette

  • Desnoyers knew all about his relations (so far honorable) with a midinette from the rue Taitbout.

    The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse |Vicente Blasco Ibanez

  • As a whole the midinette class is badly fed and therefore delicate and too often a prey to consumption.

    France |Gordon Cochrane Home

  • Then we chatted discreetly with a Paris midinette at the gate of the farm.

    Adventures of a Despatch Rider |W. H. L. Watson

  • The solo is Massenet, simon-pure Massenet, the idol of the Paris midinette.

    The Merry-Go-Round |Carl Van Vechten

British Dictionary definitions for midinette

midinette
/ (ˌmɪdɪˈnɛt, French midinɛt) /

noun plural -nettes (-ˈnɛts, French -nɛt)

a Parisian seamstress or salesgirl in a clothes shop

Word Origin for midinette

C20: from French, from midi noon + dinette light meal, since the girls had time for no more than a snack at midday