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chevrette: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Low (archaic/technical)
UK/ʃəˈvrɛt/US/ʃəˈvrɛt/

Archaic, literary, or specialized (historical fashion/leatherworking).

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Quick answer

What does “chevrette” mean?

A young female goat.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A young female goat; a kid.

Historically, a term for a type of thin, soft leather made from the skin of a young goat, used especially for gloves. Also used in some contexts to refer to a small shrimp or prawn (from French).

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

Equally rare in both varieties. The leather sense might be slightly more recognized in UK contexts due to historical fashion terminology.

Connotations

Archaic, quaint, or specialized. May carry a genteel or historical connotation.

Frequency

Extremely low-frequency word. Most English speakers would not know it. Likely encountered only in historical texts, very specific leatherworking contexts, or menus in high-end French restaurants.

Grammar

How to Use “chevrette” in a Sentence

made of chevrettechevrette glovesa chevrette (kid)

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
kidglovesleathersoft
medium
fineFrenchyoungskin
weak
whitelittledelicatepair of

Examples

Examples of “chevrette” in a Sentence

noun

British English

  • The farmer pointed out the chevrette nuzzling its mother.
  • These elegant evening gloves are made from genuine chevrette.

American English

  • The chevrette bleated softly from the pen.
  • He collected antique chevrette leather driving gloves.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Virtually never used.

Academic

Possibly in historical or agricultural studies.

Everyday

Never used.

Technical

In historical fashion or leatherworking texts.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “chevrette”

Strong

goatskin (for leather)capretto (culinary Italian)

Neutral

kidyoung goat

Weak

doeling (technical)nautile (for shrimp, obsolete)

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “chevrette”

buckhe-goatbilly goatthick leather

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “chevrette”

  • Using it in modern speech expecting to be understood.
  • Pronouncing it with a hard 'ch' /tʃ/ instead of the French soft 'ch' /ʃ/.
  • Confusing its English (goat) and French (shrimp) meanings.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Rarely. This is a direct borrowing from French. In English, its traditional meaning is a young female goat or its leather. Using it to mean 'shrimp' will not be widely understood.

Almost never in everyday language. It might appear in historical writing, very specialist discussions of leather, or affectationally on menus.

'Kid' is the common, modern word for a young goat. 'Chevrette' is an archaic synonym that specifically denotes a female kid. 'Kid' leather is the modern term for what was once called 'chevrette' leather.

It is pronounced /ʃəˈvrɛt/, with a 'sh' sound at the beginning, similar to the French pronunciation.

A young female goat.

Chevrette is usually archaic, literary, or specialized (historical fashion/leatherworking). in register.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “None in common usage.”

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think of 'CHEVrolet' - a small car. A CHEVRETTE is a small goat. Or, CHEVRE is French for goat, -ETTE makes it small/feminine.

Conceptual Metaphor

SMALLNESS / FEMININITY (via the French diminutive suffix '-ette').

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
In the 18th century, the finest dress gloves were often made from , a soft leather from a young goat.
Multiple Choice

In modern English, the word 'chevrette' is best described as:

chevrette: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples | Lingvocore