chanteuse

noun

chan·​teuse shan-ˈtüz How to pronounce chanteuse (audio) shäⁿ-ˈtərz How to pronounce chanteuse (audio)
-ˈtəz
plural chanteuses shan-ˈtüz How to pronounce chanteuse (audio)
-ˈtü-zəz,
-ˈtərz,
-ˈtəz,
-ˈtər-zəz,
-ˈtə-zəz
: songstress
especially : a woman who is a concert or nightclub singer

Examples of chanteuse in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), ghouls and pumpkin heads are seen hard at work with hair dryers in an attempt to melt the ice encasing the chanteuse. Shania Russell, EW.com, 1 Nov. 2023 Mariah Carey received the Recording Academy’s Global Impact Award at the 2024 Black Music Collective on Thursday night (Feb. 1), and the elusive chanteuse poked some fun at the Grammys during her speech. Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 2 Feb. 2024 The not-so-elusive chanteuse of Salt Lake City, Lisa Barlow, is still ready to talk all things Tease. Vulture, 26 Jan. 2024 Dripping with elegance and nostalgia, the Mexican American chanteuse forges a deeper connection with her heritage that not only pays homage to the past but also paves the way for future generations to cherish and appreciate the beauty of boleros. Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 2 Feb. 2024 The relationship between Celie and Shug Avery, the alluring chanteuse played by Taraji P. Henson, in this version plays a mite truer to that of the novel. Scott Hocker, theweek, 7 Jan. 2024 While the iconic chanteuse already debuted a few of her glamorous stage looks on Instagram, there’s one special ensemble that stands out from the pack: Carey enlisted French designer Julie de Libran for a special—and intentional—couture creation. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 16 Nov. 2023 The two negotiate their grief together as Sam is in love with a 10-year-old chanteuse named — heavy sigh — Joanna. Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023 His first innovation, suggested by the director and Factory adjutant Paul Morrissey, was to add the German chanteuse Nico to the Velvets’ lineup. Jeremy Lybarger, The New Republic, 17 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'chanteuse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, from chanter "to sing" (going back to Old French) + -euse, feminine agent suffix, from feminine of -eux, adjective suffix, going back to Old French -eus, earlier -os, -ous, going back to Latin -ōsus -ose entry 1 — more at chant entry 1

Note: The feminine adjectival suffix -euse developed into an agent suffix in later Middle French, when, in line with the general loss of final consonants, the agent suffix -eur lost its consonant and became completely homonymous with the masculine adjectival suffix -eux; the two suffixes being identified, -euse came into use as a feminine complement to -eur. The restoration of final r in the suffix -eur has once again separated the suffixes.

First Known Use

1823, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chanteuse was in 1823

Dictionary Entries Near chanteuse

Cite this Entry

“Chanteuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chanteuse. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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