gamine

1 of 2

noun

ga·​mine ga-ˈmēn How to pronounce gamine (audio)
ˈga-ˌmēn
Synonyms of gaminenext
1
: a girl who hangs around on the streets
2
: a small playfully mischievous girl

gamine

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or suggesting a gamine

Examples of gamine in a Sentence

Noun a movie about a French gamine
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The gamine Ferran has an extraordinary feral, changeling quality. — Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025 In 1954, newcomer Audrey Hepburn won for her gamine role as royalty playing hooky in Roman Holiday, while the 1955 awards honored an entirely different type of performance, Method actress Eva Marie Saint's hyperrealistic turn in On the Waterfront. — James Mercadante, EW.com, 1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Here, the riding jacket was a key theme, constructed in gleaming silken tweeds above gamine miniskirts and youthful skorts. — Thomas Adamson, ajc, 24 Jan. 2023 Orton, a gamine-ish fifty-one, who lives with her family in London, had dressed sensibly for November in New York. — John Seabrook, The New Yorker, 12 Dec. 2022 See All Example Sentences for gamine

Word History

Etymology

Noun

borrowed from French, feminine derivative of gamin gamin

Adjective

borrowed from French, derivative of gamin, gamine gamin, gamine entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1848, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gamine was in 1848

Rhymes for gamine

See All Rhymes for gamine

Browse Nearby Words

gamin
gamine
gaminerie
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Cite this Entry

“Gamine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gamine. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

gamine

noun
ga·​mine
ga-ˈmēn
1
: an often poor girl who spends much of her time on the streets
2
: a small playfully mischievous girl

More from Merriam-Webster on gamine

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