sb. Forms: (7 cocket), 7–8 coquet, 8 cocquet, 7– coquette. [a. F. coquette, fem. of coquet COQUET. Formerly spelt coquet, like the masculine: so found even in 19th c., but coquette was occasional before 1720, and usual after 1740. The stress on the second syllable is found about 1700.]
1. A woman (more or less young), who uses arts to gain the admiration and affection of men, merely for the gratification of vanity or from a desire of conquest, and without any intention of responding to the feelings aroused; a woman who habitually trifles with the affections of men; a flirt.
In early use the notion ranged widely from gallantry, wantonness, or immodesty, to pretty pertness.
α. 1611. Cotgr., Coquette, a prattling or proud gossip: a frisking or fliperous minx; a cocket.
1678. Otway, Friendship in F., I. i. 3. A perfect Coquet, very affected, and something old.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Cocquet … also a wanton Girl that speaks fair to several Lovers at once.
1708. Prior, Turtle & Sparrow, 295. A meer Cocquet, or such I thought her.
1720. Gay, Poems (1745), II. 83. False are the loose Coquet’s inveigling airs.
1790. Cath. M. Graham, Lett. Educ., 138. A coquet commonly finds her own perdition, in the very flames which she raises to consume others.
1829. Lytton, Devereux, II. ii. Amorously eyeing the pretty coquet.
β. 1669. Dryden, Ev. Love, III. i. One of the greatest Coquettes in Madrid.
1712–4. Pope, Rape Lock, I. 88. Instruct the Eyes of young Coquettes to roll.
1742. Fielding, J. Andrews, III. iii. 85. If it was possible for a Coquette to love.
1761. Churchill, Night, Poems I. 88. Coquettes no more pursue the jilting plan.
1837. Lytton, E. Maltrav., 65. I am no heartless coquette.
1885. Girl’s Own Paper, Jan., 199/2. A coquette is a young lady of more beauty than sense.
b. fig. or transf.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), I. 239. Pleasure is an errant coquet, flying those who court her most servilely, and showing herself most gracious to those who bear the greatest indifference towards her.
1822. Shelley, Fragm. Moon, i. Bright wanderer, fair coquette of heaven.
c. Male coquette: = COQUET B. 1.
1770. Monthly Rev., 72. One of those Narcissus-like, or Lady-like, gentlemen, called a male-coquet.
1776. Ann. Reg., 37/1. Dr. Rundle was a kind of male coquette.
1779. Mrs. Thrale, in Mad. D’Arblay, Diary, Feb. I often say Dr. Burney is the most of a male coquet of any man I know.
1793. Eliza Parsons, Woman as she should be, III. 77. There is nothing more deserving reprehension … than a male coquette.
2. A genus of crested humming-birds. [F. coquet masc., made coquette in English.]
[1843. Penny Cycl., XXV. 273/1. s.v. Trochilidæ, 27th Race, the Fops (Coquets).]
1866. Argyll, Reign Law, v. (ed. 4), 246. One of the most … beautiful of all the tribe is comprised within the genus Lophornis, or the ‘Coquettes.’
3. attrib. and Comb.
a. attrib. or as adj. (Not distinguishable from COQUET a. 3.) Having the air of a coquette; coquettish.
1743. Fielding, Wedding-day, IV. ix. A few coquette airs of youth and gaiety.
1751. Eliza Heywood, Betsy Thoughtless, II. 219. Every little coquette air we give ourselves [will] lessen the value of our charms.
1865. Pall Mall Gaz., 24 April, 3/1. The forest of Soignies … if not as coquette, fully as enjoyable as the famous ‘Bois’ itself.
1867. Musgrave, Nooks Old France, II. 209. Picturesque and coquette as ever their [mills’] wasp-like waists were.
b. Comb., as coquette-like adj.; † coquette-patch, a patch for the face.
1705. Vanbrugh, Confed., II. i. Araminta, before she can come abroad, is so long a placing her coquet-patch, that I must be a year without company.
1760. Goldsm., Cit. World, lxx. Coquet like, she flies from her close pursuers.
1864. Tennyson, Hendecasyllabics. As some rare little rose … or half coquette-like Maiden.
Coquette v., Coquetting: see COQUET v.
