Skip to content

mannequin

fashion model

noun mah-nuh-KAN Less Common
Arts & Culture Visual Arts

Origin: Dutch manneken (little man)

Also means

mannequin, dummy

Usage Note

Mannequin originally meant a dressmaker's dummy and still does; it also refers to a fashion model on the runway or in advertising. In French mannequin is grammatically masculine regardless of the model's gender, though feminine agreement is increasingly used informally. The Dutch origin via Flemish textile trade explains the word's arrival in French.

Examples

"Elle travaille comme mannequin pour une grande marque."

Natural Translation

She works as a model for a major brand.

Explore French by topic