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Definition of petite - 3 dictionary results

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; < F; fem. of petit


pe⋅tite⋅ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pe·tite   (pə-tēt')   
adj.  Small, slender, and trim. Used of a girl or woman. See Synonyms at small.
n.  A clothing size for short slender women.

[French, feminine of petit; see petit.]
pe·tite'ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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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, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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