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

As the précieuse did nothing according to common usage, she could not dine p. 50like another.

These ladies called each other, with demonstrative fondness, "Ma précieuse."

But she, with many of her peers, was too rich in sarcastic common sense to be a précieuse ridicule.

Dans les circonstances actuelles cette déclaration nous est particulièrement précieuse.

Comptez que tout détrompé que je suis de la vanité des amitiés humaines, la vôtre me sera à jamais précieuse.

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