Petites

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. Characterizing individuals or items that are small in size or stature
2. describing something as diminutive in a charming or attractive manner
3. referring to a style or design that emphasizes lightness and elegance through smallness

Etymology: "Petites" is the plural of "petite," which English borrowed from French, where "petite" is the feminine form of "petit," meaning "small" or "little." French gives adjectives different endings for masculine and feminine nouns, so the feminine form was the one attached to women's sizes. The retail sense, a label for garments cut for smaller frames, is the part that is specifically English. The word is also a useful reminder that the French adjective has long served as a polite way of describing a woman who is short and slight, and that flattering sense carried over into the fashion label. In English the plural is used for a line of clothing sold in those cut sizes, so the word applies to a whole category of garments rather than to one person.