plural coquettes
1
: a woman who endeavors without sincere affection to gain the attention and admiration of men
… the book brought to mind a true Southern coquette, flashy and sweet and alluring all at the same time.—Tina Jordan
2
: any of several small, tropical American hummingbirds (genus Lophornis) with the males typically having a colorful or ornate tuft of feathers on the head
… the rufous-crested coquette, a tiny hummingbird (with a red mohawk "hair-do") that was just as … flirty as its name.—Thelma Dalmas
But the tiniest of these hummers was the one that elicited the most excitement: a festive coquette, an extremely rare green-crested bird with a white rump patch, only 3 inches long.—James F. McCarty
co·quette
variant spelling of coquet entry 3
1
2
: to deal with something playfully rather than seriously
We have coquetted with a serious matter.
Cite this Entry
“Coquette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coquette. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.
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