Coquettes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person, often a woman, who engages in flirtatious behavior to attract attention or admiration
2. someone who plays with romantic interests yet avoids serious commitment
3. an individual who uses charm and allure to gain favor without sincere intention

Etymology: "Coquettes" is simply the plural of "coquette", a noun for a flirtatious person who enjoys attracting admirers without committing to any of them. The singular was borrowed from French, where "coquette" was the feminine form of "coquet", a word meaning flirtatious or coquettish. Its ultimate roots lie in "coq", the French word for rooster, which is what gives the word its bird-like flavour: a strutting, showy male who attracts attention. The plural simply adds the usual English "-s" to the noun, so "coquettes" refers to several such flirts at once. Because the word was taken straight from French, it kept a French feel, and English speakers have long used it mainly of women, which is how the feminine French form survived into English.

Synonyms: flirts, teasers, seductresses