noirette

English

Etymology

From French noir (“black”) +‎ -ette, after brunette. Compare French and Middle French noirette.

Noun

noirette (plural noirettes)

  1. (chiefly fiction, rare) A black-haired person, especially a woman.
    Synonym: blackette
    • 1974, Elia Kazan, chapter III, in The Understudy: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Stein and Day, →OCLC, page 411:
      For a time I was with a Noirette from North Africa, rebellious and intemperate, her frizzy hair shooting out as if her head had exploded in one of those stop-action photographs taken at a thousandth.
    • [1994 December 13, Charlie Stross, quoting Tim Mefford, “A simple query not cross-posted to kook groups.”, in alt.peeves‎[1] (Usenet), archived from the original on 28 January 2026:
      In the classical lexicon of blonde, brunette, and redhead, why has no distinction been made between women with brown and black hair? Or, consulting my high-school French, have women with black hair been dimissed? Noirette?]
    • 1997 June 20, Mike Jittlov, “Marry a Moviestar - for FREE!!”, in alt.personals‎[2] (Usenet), archived from the original on 28 January 2026:
      Definitely not Los Angeles -- where brunettes, noirettes, orangettes and Germanic blondes seem to thrive.
    • 2014 January 18, Kathleen S. Molligger, “Done Talking”, in Lesbian Love and Lust in a Dorm Room […], ASIN B00HY12CHC:
      Since Jen despised constant work, and since she rarely excluded Amy in her escapades, it was impossible for the noirette to hole up in her room studying all the time.
    • 2015 December 1, Jamie Hamilton, “ROKA Aldwych review”, in RollOnFriday‎[3], archived from the original on 19 August 2019:
      As per baboon-killer AA Gill's reviews, he wanted a nickname. "Call me the Brown," he said. "But you're brown-skinned," I said. […] "What about the Brunette?" I said. "No," he said, "The Brown. Anyway, my hair is black." "What about...what do they call people with black hair?" I asked. "The Black. You can call me the Black if you like." "I'm not doing that." How do you get in to ROKA? Because the Noirette had to get back to the office to send out a contract by 3pm, so how do you actually get inside and start a review?
    • 2017 December 19, Daniel Banner, Sparks Will Fly (Park City Firefighter Romance: Station 2; 1), Vorpal Words Publishing, ASIN B078J544LK, chapters 5 and 25:
      “So, this Red Hot Llama team looks pretty exclusive. All of you good-looking, fit, and you even have all the bases covered: blonde, redhead, brunette, and … a woman with black hair.” / “There’s a word for that,” said Lucy. “Anyone know it?” She glanced around the table, then added, “Girls, don’t give it away.” […] “Ladies?” Lucy raised her eyebrows. / In unison, the other three said, “Noirette.” […] You, my lovely little noirette, have an amazing vocabulary.
    • 2020 May 2, Shae Sullivan, “Dane”, in Wanted: Fake Boyfriend (Click for Love; 1), ASIN B088178N8P:
      A tall blonde Whitehall short, spikey hair cut is followed by a slightly shorter woman with jet black hair cut in a bob. […] “Hi, I’m Nikki,” says the noirette, as she steps around the taller woman.
    • 2020 November 15, Arch Stanton, “Stumped”, in Elevating Emma: The Middle Floors, ASIN B08NK3G2M1:
      Now, you may remember I’m a married twenty-nine-year-old five-seven blue/green eyed noirette who’s suffering an early mid-life crisis.
    • 2020 July 24, Quentin Black, chapter 33, in Northern Wars (Connor Reed; 4), →ISBN:
      The hair—the blackness of which Ciara used the word ‘noirette’ for their owners—fell past the left shoulder before curving inward at the bottom to seemingly draw attention the ample cleavage which the tight, ash dress opened to reveal. […] A beguiling smile lit up the noirette’s face.
    • 2023, Arianna Barton, “Nathair”, in Bloody Deception (The Deception Series; 1), 2nd edition, ASIN B0C7857Q1T:
      I forced myself to focus and pushed all thoughts of the gorgeous noirette out of my mind.
    • 2023 September 29, Vishnul Jain, “Ritual and Reversal”, in Rise of the Sorcerer (The Future King; 2), Raj Bhavish, →ISBN, page 188:
      “Coz, will you?” The noirette spoke again, motioning to the other one. The brunette nodded and headed out of the room.

Adjective

noirette (not comparable)

  1. (chiefly fiction, rare) Especially of a woman: black-haired.
    • 2014 April 16, Elwin Cotman, Weird Black Girls: Stories, New York, N.Y.: Scribner, →ISBN:
      And now, in the moment I should have focused on you, I found myself recalling the night I chased a pale blonde down an alley, as she complained to her voluptuous, noirette friend what a cheapskate I was.
    • 2023 September 29, Vishnul Jain, “Ritual and Reversal”, in Rise of the Sorcerer (The Future King; 2), Raj Bhavish, →ISBN, page 188:
      The noirette woman smiled and motioned to the couch behind Alice.
    • 2025 April 17, Claire Devon, chapter 9, in A Bride for the Devilish Duke (Marriage by Midnight; 2), ASIN B0F57WT5HM:
      “You seem distracted, my lady,” Elsie noted. / Emma focused. “No, not particularly,” she lied. / Her noirette maid raised an eyebrow. “I have just spent the last hour tying and untying your hair,” she said levelly.

See also

French

Etymology 1

Feminine of noiret, a diminutive of noir (“black”).

Adjective

noirette

  1. feminine singular of noiret

Noun

noirette f (plural noirettes)

  1. (endearing, rare) diminutive of noire: little black or dark one
    • 1969, Bernard Noël, Le Château de Cène, Paris: Jérôme Martineau, →OCLC:
      Mais non, mon sexe est dressé devant toi, et c’est à lui qu’ainsi assise et nue tu parles, avec un bruit d’expiration qui fait que chaque mot agonise longuement entre tes dents : ― Mon savouret mon babel mon doigt mon félon mon agu mon niquet ma noirette mon plant […]
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 2002 November 20, milady [Patricia], “Encore des chatons à adopter”, in fr.rec.animaux‎[4] (Usenet), archived from the original on 28 January 2026:
      Bonne nouvelle , une gentille dame va venir me chercher mon rigolo chaton noir... il me restera la câline noirette, et en vue , deux chatons bicolores tigré et blanc et roux et blanc , à peu pres 4 mois ....les deux noirs ... 2 mois seulement..... quelle population féline à la maison!
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 2017 June 1, Marc Garcet, Marie Taeter, with Jean-Pol Schroeder, “Swing, valse, be-bop et tango”, in Quand des hommes et des femmes oeuvrent avec le jazz : chroniques du Moulin du Broukay, Paris: L’Harmattan, →ISBN, page 22:
      La jolie noirette aux cheveux frisés, tout en amour, l’embarque dans une […]
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Etymology 2

From noir (“black”) +‎ -ette, after brunette. Compare English and Middle French noirette.

Noun

noirette f (plural noirettes)

  1. (rare) black-haired woman; noirette
    • 1946 December 24, “La propriétaire du méchant chien a payé l’amende”, in Le Nouvelliste, 27th year, number 48, Trois-Rivières, Que., →OCLC, page 13, column 3:
      Une jolie “noirette” qui n’a pas prisé un jugement du recorder de la ville, hier matin, a protesté avec une éloquence fougueuse qui a fait rougir deux avocats, qui se trouvaient à la cour à ce moment (…?) sans, toutefois, parvenir à influencer Me Léon Girard, c.r. La “pôvre” aurait maille à partir avec le chien policier d’une co-paroissienne, et elle aurait aimé le voir disparaître complètement de la circulation.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 1965 September 27, “Devant le Rotary : Mlle Consuello Taimana, brosse un tableau de son pays natal”, in Le Nouvelliste, 45th year, number 277, Trois-Rivières, Que., →OCLC, page 6, column 6:
      Mlle Taimana est une jeune et jolie noirette aux yeux perçants.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 2009 September, Lucy-France Dutremble, “Le trésor”, in La rue Royale, volume 1, Saint-Pie, Que.: Éditions JKA, →ISBN:
      Pierre, lui, ne cessait de faire les yeux doux à Guylaine. Il la trouvait donc mignonne, cette petite noirette-là.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 2015 May 17, Monique Michaud, chapter 9, in Trois Brind'Amour pour toujours : roman, [Beloeil, Que.]: Éditions la Caboche, →ISBN:
      Junior s’amuse avec son nouveau joujou, il échange avec Kiki rencontrée l’autre soir à Saint-Jérôme. Elle lui plait beaucoup, cette petite noirette, maluron malurette, et c’est peut-être réciproque.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 2019 October 3, Pier Paolo Pasolini, translated by Jean-Paul Manganaro, “Irene”, in Une vie violente, [Paris]: Buchet-Chastel, →ISBN:
      Si que mon père sort… et que la noirette, ma copine, va trouver sa cousine à l’Alberone, alors moi, ma mère, je peux m’trouver ‘n’excuse… et peut-êt’ j’peux y venir, au rendez-vous…
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
    • 2024 October 25, David Minne, “Un panier de crabes”, in Sombralice aux pays des merveilles, Paris: Vérone éditions, →ISBN:
      Que rajouter pour marquer le coup ? Pas une perruque blonde, en tout cas ! Elle tiendrait son rôle en noirette désuète ; les blondes et les fausses blondes abondent dans les auditions.
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Middle French

Adjective

noirette

  1. feminine singular of noiret

Noun

noirette f (plural noirettes)

  1. (rare) woman with black hair or a darker complexion
    • 1546, Guillaume Coquillart, Les oeuvres, nouvellement reueues et corrigees‎[5], page 182:
      C'eſt vne petite noirette,
      Non pas noirette, mais brunette, […]
      She is small with black hair,
      Not black, but brown, […]
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