petite

pe·tite

[puh-teet]
adjective
1.
(of a woman) short and having a small, trim figure; diminutive.
noun
2.
a category of clothing sized for women or girls of less than average height and with average or diminutive figures.
3.
a garment in such a size: The petites are on that rack.
4.
a woman or girl who wears clothing of such a size.

Origin:
1705–15; < French; feminine of petit

pe·tite·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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00:10
Petite is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
Collins
World English Dictionary
petite (pəˈtiːt) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj
(of a woman) small, delicate, and dainty
 
[C18: from French, feminine of petit small]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

petite
1712, "little," in Fr. phrases taken into Eng., from Fr. petite, fem. of petit "little," from O.Fr. (see petit). As a size in women's clothing, attested from 1929.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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