Meaning & use
barrettes
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“barrettes” is a form of “barrette”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounusually plural
Small decorative clips that hold hair in place, usually worn by girls and women.
Grammar: Usually plural because people wear several at once; the singular 'barrette' means one clip.
Patterns
- wear barrettes
- put in a barrette
- a pair of barrettes
She pinned her hair back with two silver barrettes.
My daughter picked out pink barrettes to match her dress.
He bought a set of barrettes as a small gift.
Word forms
| singular | barrette |
|---|
Common combinations
- hair barrettes
- The store sells hair barrettes in every color.
- wear barrettes
- She likes to wear barrettes when her hair is long.
- a pair of barrettes
- He gave her a pair of barrettes for her birthday.
- gold barrettes
- The little girl had gold barrettes shaped like stars.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hair clip
- A wider term for any clip that holds hair, including plain plastic ones, not just decorative barrettes.
- hair slide
- The common British word for the same object; Americans say 'barrette'.
Word family
- barrette noun
- One single hair clip of this kind.
Commonly confused: barrettes or beret?
barrettes vs beret
A beret is a soft round hat, while a barrette is a small clip for holding hair.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'barrettes' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Barrettes are clips for holding hair, so 'held her hair back with two barrettes' fits. A warm hat is a 'beret', shoes are tied rather than barrettes, and rings, not barrettes, go on a finger.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “barrettes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.