ENGLISH
REFERENCE

belle

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US //ˈbɛɫ// UK //bˈɛl// belle Archaic

n. a woman who is known for being the most beautiful person at a party or in a specific group. It is an old-fashioned word that people mostly use today to describe someone at a formal dance.

n. a woman whose beauty and charm make her the most prominent or attractive person in a particular social circle or at a specific event. Often used in the fixed phrase 'the belle of the ball'.


SIMPLE

She was the belle of the ball in her red dress.

CONTEXTUAL

As the guest of honor, she was the undisputed belle of the evening, drawing everyone's attention.

COMPLEX

In nineteenth-century literature, the protagonist is often depicted as a local belle whose social standing is elevated by her remarkable grace and physical beauty.

Etymology 1

From French belle (“beauty, beautiful”), from Latin bella.

Etymology 2

Diminutive of Isabelle and Annabelle.

Usage

Frequently appears in the idiomatic expression 'the belle of the ball'.

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