coquette
coquette Lexical Profile
coquette Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A woman who flirts lightheartedly or playfully with others merely for amusement or to win admiration, without sincere romantic affection.
"In classic 18th-century comedies of manners, the heroine is often portrayed as a charming coquette who delights in teasing her suitors."
Any of several very small, brightly colored tropical hummingbirds of the genus Lophornis and related genera in the family Trochilidae, native to Central and South America and noted for the ornate crests and cheek tufts of the males.
"While birdwatching in the cloud forests of Costa Rica, we spotted a tiny tufted coquette hovering near the red hibiscus blossoms."
• verb
To act as a flirt; to trifle or dally playfully in love or with an idea without serious commitment.
"The diplomat coquetted briefly with the rival faction's proposal before ultimately rejecting it."
• Rhymes for coquette
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 17th century from French 'coquette', the feminine diminutive of 'coquet' (a little rooster), from 'coq' (rooster), in reference to the bird's strutting and amorous behavior.