coquette

noun

co·​quette kō-ˈket How to pronounce coquette (audio)
plural coquettes
1
: a woman who endeavors without sincere affection to gain the attention and admiration of men
… the book brought to mind a true Southern coquette, flashy and sweet and alluring all at the same time.Tina Jordan
2
: any of several small, tropical American hummingbirds (genus Lophornis) with the males typically having a colorful or ornate tuft of feathers on the head
… the rufous-crested coquette, a tiny hummingbird (with a red mohawk "hair-do") that was just as … flirty as its name.Thelma Dalmas
But the tiniest of these hummers was the one that elicited the most excitement: a festive coquette, an extremely rare green-crested bird with a white rump patch, only 3 inches long.James F. McCarty
coquettish adjective
coquettishly adverb
coquettishness noun

Examples of coquette in a Sentence

She was a bit of a coquette.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Green is most definitely Cynthia’s color and the exaggerated bow silhouette of her dress is serving coquette vibes in the best way. Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 2 Mar. 2025 Swim Week solidified the coquette swim trend as one to watch for the next couple of summers. Victoria Montalti, refinery29.com, 4 June 2024 The coquette trend is here to stay, according to Taylor Swift. Hannah Malach, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019 Her black high-neck shrug and wide-leg pants complete what feels like an elegant, subtly goth look with a coquette twist. Marci Robin, Allure, 27 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for coquette

Word History

Etymology

French, feminine of coquet — see coquet entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of coquette was circa 1611

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Coquette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coquette. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

coquette

noun
co·​quette kō-ˈket How to pronounce coquette (audio)
: a woman who tries without sincere affection to gain the attention and admiration of men : flirt
coquettish adjective
coquettishly adverb
coquettishness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on coquette

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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