Dictionary

noirette en · ADJ

Etymology

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

Meanings

1. (not-comparable, rare) Especially of a woman: black-haired.
   • “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. 2025 April 17, Claire Devon, chapter 9, in A Bride for the Devilish Duke (Marriage by Midnight; 2), ASIN B0F57WT5HM:
   • 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. 2014 April 16, Elwin Cotman, Weird Black Girls: Stories, New York, N.Y.: Scribner, →ISBN:
   • The noirette woman smiled and motioned to the couch behind Alice. 2023 September 29, Vishnul Jain, “Ritual and Reversal”, in Rise of the Sorcerer (The Future King; 2), Raj Bhavish, →ISBN, page 188:

Relateds

ravenette

noirette en · NOUN

Etymology

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

Meanings

1. (rare) A black-haired person, especially a woman.
   • 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 May 2, Shae Sullivan, “Dane”, in Wanted: Fake Boyfriend (Click for Love; 1), ASIN B088178N8P:
   • “Coz, will you?” The noirette spoke again, motioning to the other one. The brunette nodded and headed out of the room. 2023 September 29, Vishnul Jain, “Ritual and Reversal”, in Rise of the Sorcerer (The Future King; 2), Raj Bhavish, →ISBN, page 188:
   • 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. 2020 July 24, Quentin Black, chapter 33, in Northern Wars (Connor Reed; 4), →ISBN:
   • I forced myself to focus and pushed all thoughts of the gorgeous noirette out of my mind. 2023, Arianna Barton, “Nathair”, in Bloody Deception (The Deception Series; 1), 2nd edition, ASIN B0C7857Q1T:
   • Definitely not Los Angeles -- where brunettes, noirettes, orangettes and Germanic blondes seem to thrive. 1997 June 20, Mike Jittlov, “Marry a Moviestar - for FREE!!”, in alt.personals (Usenet), archived from the original on 28 Jan 2026:
   • “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. 2017 December 19, Daniel Banner, Sparks Will Fly (Park City Firefighter Romance: Station 2; 1), Vorpal Words Publishing, ASIN B078J544LK, chapters 5 and 25:
   • 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? [1994 December 13, Charlie Stross, quoting Tim Mefford, “A simple query not cross-posted to kook groups.”, in alt.peeves (Usenet), archived from the original on 28 Jan 2026:
   • 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? 2015 December 1, Jamie Hamilton, “ROKA Aldwych review”, in RollOnFriday, archived from the original on 19 Aug 2019:
   • 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. 1974, Elia Kazan, chapter III, in The Understudy: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Stein and Day, →OCLC, page 411:
   • 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 November 15, Arch Stanton, “Stumped”, in Elevating Emma: The Middle Floors, ASIN B08NK3G2M1:
   • 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. 2014 January 18, Kathleen S. Molligger, “Done Talking”, in Lesbian Love and Lust in a Dorm Room […], ASIN B00HY12CHC:

Forms

Synonyms

blackette

Translations (4)

es morocho (black-haired person) · es morena (black-haired person) · es morocha (black-haired person) · es moreno (black-haired person)