demoiselle
English
Etymology
Borrowed from French demoiselle. The bird is so called on account of the grace and symmetry of its form and movements.
Noun
demoiselle (plural demoiselles)
- A damselfly of the family Calopterygidae.
- A young lady; a damsel; a lady's maid.
- The Numidian crane (Grus virgo).
Synonyms
- (damselfly): broad-winged damselfly
French
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Old French damoisele, from Vulgar Latin *domnicella, diminutive of Latin domina. Compare Spanish doncella and damisela, Italian donzella and damigella.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /də.mwa.zɛl/
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Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
- “demoiselle” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
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