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Bijou (which can be pluralized as either bijoux or bijous) has adorned English since the late 17th century. We borrowed it from French, but the word ultimately traces to Breton, a Celtic language closely related to Cornish and Welsh and spoken by inhabitants of the Brittany region of northwest France. Our modern English word derives from Breton bizou, which means "ring." That history makes bijou a rare gem in English because, although the Breton people occupied part of England for many years before they were pushed into France by the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th and 6th centuries, very few Breton-derived words remain in our language. (Another Breton descendant is menhir, a term for a kind of monolith.)
Examples of bijou in a Sentence
Julia Teti, Footwear News, 8 May 2025
Since Khouri officially launched her business with the opening of her atelier in 2013, she has become known for jewellery that sits somewhere between sculpture and bijou.
—Felix Bischof, theweek, 11 Oct. 2024
In 2018, Yum Brands’ Taco Bell launched a TV commercial for its then-new Nacho Fries that looked just like a sneak preview a viewer might see at the local bijou.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 5 Feb. 2024
Welcome to the world of From Lucie, Franc de Ferriere’s new bakery, which opened this past weekend in the East Village behind a bijou, mustard yellow storefront—and has already attracted lines around the block.
—Jordan Hernandez, Vogue, 19 Jan. 2023
Firstly, Rosemary, a bijou new riad with a calming courtyard and sunny rooftop, from Laurence Leenaert, the designer behind the LRNCE brand of ceramics and textiles.
—Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Nov. 2022
Following is the Wunderkammer room, focused on the maison’s bijou wonders.
—Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2022
The street is lined with markets, bakeries, and bijou food shops with rotisserie chickens twirling in the window.
—Zoe Dubno, Vogue, 15 Dec. 2022
In addition to the Christie’s auction, Hubert de Givenchy’s style has inspired a tribute across town, at the Galerie Kugel, a bijou of an antiques gallery on the Left Bank.
—Tina Isaac-Goizé, Vogue, 13 June 2022
Cite this Entry
“Bijou.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bijou. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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