chemisette

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French chemisette.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌʃɛmɪˈzɛt/, /ʃəˌmiˈzɛt/

Noun

chemisette (plural chemisettes)

1. An item of women's clothing, popular in the 1860s and 1870s, worn to fill in the front and neckline of any garment.
   • 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter VIII, in Romance and Reality. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 122:

     [Of Italian peasants] And then their dress—the fine plaited chemisette close round the throat—the long gold ear-rings, those indispensables of their toilette—the black velvet boddice, showing the figure to such advantage, laced with gold and coloured silks—the full petticoat—the apron trimmed with gay ribands; all put on so neatly, and with such a fine taste for harmony of colouring.

References

• “chemisette”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

French

Etymology

From chemise +‎ -ette.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃə.mi.zɛt/

Noun

chemisette f (plural chemisettes)

1. camisole
2. (Belgium) tank top

   Synonyms: (France) débardeur, (Switzerland, Quebec) camisole

Descendants

• → English: chemisette

Further reading

• “chemisette”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.