précieuse

[ prey-see-ooz; French prey-syœz ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, plural pré·cieus·es [prey-see-, ooz, -iz, p, r, ey-, syœz].

one of the 17th-century literary women of France who affected an extreme care in the use of language.
an affected or pretentious woman, especially one marked by preciosity in manner or speech.

1720–30; < French; feminine of précieux ( def ); -euse

We find here the code which ruled the Hotel de Rambouillet, and the very well-defined character of the precieuse.

The use of names was banished, and each was addressed as “ma chere” or “ma precieuse.”

To be a precieuse was in itself an evidence of good conduct.

The poet Scarron speaks of her as "toute lumineuse, toute precieuse."

There was Ninon; and there was Madame de Rambouillet; the one galante, the other precieuse.

April 23, 2024inveterate

[in-vet-er-it ]

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