coquette

/koʊˈkɛt/

/kəʊˈkɛt/

Other forms: coquetting; coquettes; coquetted

A coquette is a flirt, a girl or woman who knows how to flatter and manipulate men with her charms in order to get what she wants.

Coquette sounds French, and it is, borrowed into English from French in the mid-17th century. It's the feminine diminutive form of coq, which means "cock, a male bird" — so coquette refers to a little female bird, and, in fact, it's also the name of a kind of colorful hummingbird found in Latin America. If you imagine a coquette as a flamboyant little bird flitting about and teasing the male birds, you'll have a good picture of a coquette.

Definitions of coquette

1. verb

   talk or behave amorously, without serious intentions
   synonyms: butterfly, chat up, coquet, dally, flirt, mash, philander, romance

   types:

   wanton

   engage in amorous play

   vamp

   act seductively with (someone)

   type of:

   speak, talk

   exchange thoughts; talk with
2. noun

   a seductive woman who flirts, often for personal gain
   synonyms: flirt, minx, tease, vamp, vamper

   type of:

   adult female, woman

   an adult female person (as opposed to a man)