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ruelle

noun
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ru·​elle | \ (ˈ)rü¦el \
plural -s

Definition of ruelle

1 archaic : the space between a bed and the wall
2 : a morning reception held in their bedrooms by fashionable French ladies of the 17th and 18th centuries
3 : a narrow street or alley the smaller ruelles were in pitch-darkness— Donald Stokes

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First Known Use of ruelle

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for ruelle

Middle English ruel, from Middle French ruele, literally, alley, diminutive of rue street, from Latin ruga wrinkle, fold

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The first known use of ruelle was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Ruelle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruelle. Accessed 8 Mar. 2021.

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