mignonette

noun

mi·​gnon·​ette ˌmin-yə-ˈnet How to pronounce mignonette (audio)
1
: any of a genus (Reseda of the family Resedaceae, the mignonette family) of herbs
especially : a garden annual (R. odorata) bearing racemes of fragrant whitish flowers
2
: a sauce made typically with vinegar, pepper, and herbs and served especially with oysters

Illustration of mignonette

Illustration of mignonette
  • mignonette 1

Examples of mignonette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Something to savor Start off with the Oysters West Coast and East Coast, served with red wine vinegar mignonette and lemon cocktail sauce, and the lavraki, served with horta and ladolemono sauce. Amanda Mesa, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 The presentation comprises oysters with passion-fruit mignonette and the day’s crudo—yellowtail with avocado, say, or scallops in yuzu—and chilled lobsters, their silken claws already flawlessly denuded. The New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2023 The city abounds with fine seafood towers, especially at Martini-minded restaurants above a certain price point, though there can be a sameness to them, a repetitive haze of mignonette and gently melting ice. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2023 There’s an array of dressings and hot sauces, including a mouth-puckering homemade mignonette, and the oysters are glorious, a symphony of brine and richness, especially the Blue Points, mild and rich as salted butter, and the peachy sweetness of the Kumamotos. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 5 Nov. 2023 See all Example Sentences for mignonette 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mignonette.' 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

French mignonnette, from obsolete French, feminine of mignonnet dainty, from Middle French, from mignon darling

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mignonette was in 1785

Dictionary Entries Near mignonette

Cite this Entry

“Mignonette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mignonette. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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