di·min·u·tive (d?-m?n?y?-t?v)adj.1. Extremely or extraordinarily small. See Synonyms at small.2. Grammar Of or being a suffix that indicates smallness or, by semantic extension, qualities such as youth, familiarity, affection, or contempt, as -let in booklet, -kin in lambkin, or -et in nymphet.n.1. Grammar A diminutive suffix, word, or name.2. A very small person or thing.[Middle English diminutif, from Old French, from Latin d?min?t?vus, from d?min?tus, past participle of d?minuere; see diminish.]di·min?u·tive·ly adv.di·min?u·tive·ness n.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.diminutive (d??m?nj?t?v) adj1. very small; tiny2. (Linguistics) grammar a. denoting an affix added to a word to convey the meaning small or unimportant or to express affection, as for example the suffix -ette in Frenchb. denoting a word formed by the addition of a diminutive affixn3. (Grammar) grammar a diminutive word or affix4. a tiny person or thing Compare (for senses 2, 3): augmentative diminutival adj di?minutively adv di?minutiveness nCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014di?min?u?tive (d??m?n y? t?v) adj. 1. much smaller than the average or usual; tiny. 2. pertaining to or productive of a form denoting smallness, familiarity, affection, or triviality, as the suffix -let in droplet from drop. n. 3. a diminutive element or formation. [1350?1400; Middle English
Ette
-ette
-ettesuff.1. Small; diminutive: kitchenette.2. Female: usherette.3. An imitation or inferior kind of cloth: leatherette.[Middle English, from Old French, feminine of -et, -et.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.-ette suffix forming nouns 1. small: cigarette; kitchenette. 2. female: majorette; suffragette. 3. (esp in trade names) imitation: Leatherette. [from French, feminine of -et]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014-ette a noun suffix occurring orig. in loanwords from French (brunette; cigarette; coquette; etiquette); as an English suffix, -ette forms diminutives (kitchenette; novelette), distinctively feminine nouns (majorette; usherette), and names of imitation products (leatherette). Compare -et. [