gamin

noun

gam·​in ˈga-mən How to pronounce gamin (audio)
1
: a boy who hangs around on the streets : urchin
2

Examples of gamin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The door is opened by Ms. Etienne, 75 — a wry, sinewy woman with a gamin haircut. Ben Brantley, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2019 Liliane Montevecchi, a glittering French gamin who became a cabaret star in Paris, a pal of Marlon Brando’s in Hollywood, and the Tony Award-winning ‘‘muse’’ of director Tommy Tune on Broadway, died June 29 at her home in Manhattan. Washington Post, BostonGlobe.com, 6 July 2018 The gamin Bujold plays the enchanting Coquelicot with whom Bates falls in love. Susan King, latimes.com, 8 Mar. 2018 A kooky young woman works her gamin charm on a Paris arrondissement in this new musical written by Craig Lucas, Daniel Messé and Nathan Tysen, directed by Pam MacKinnon and adapted from Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s beloved 2001 film. Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2017 This musical about a French gamin finding love, adapted by Craig Lucas, Daniel Messé and Nathan Tysen from the Jean-Pierre Jeunet movie, will steal its final garden gnome. Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 18 May 2017 This musical about a French gamin finding love, adapted by Craig Lucas, Daniel Messé and Nathan Tysen from the Jean-Pierre Jeunet movie, steals its final garden gnome. Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 11 May 2017 That French movie, which grossed $174 million and turned Audrey Tautou, its gamin-pixie star, into an international... Edward Rothstein, WSJ, 5 Apr. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gamin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, earlier, "glassmaker's assistant, young boy," of obscure origin

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gamin was in 1832

Dictionary Entries Near gamin

Cite this Entry

“Gamin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gamin. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gamin

noun
gam·​in ˈgam-ən How to pronounce gamin (audio)
1
: a boy who hangs out on the streets
2

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