-ette

small; a smaller or related version

Forms

Old French -ete, the feminine counterpart of diminutive -et; the suffix’s deeper origin is uncertain.

Smallness can shade into affection, imitation, or dismissal depending on context.

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noun / verb

pie-PET/paɪˈpet/

A slender tube for measuring or transferring liquid, or to use such a tube.

Etymology

The pieces mean “little tube.” That description became the name of a narrow instrument used to withdraw and transfer small quantities of fluid.