One of the mysteries of the English language finally explained.
1The wife or widow of a marquis.Compare with marchioness
- ‘The marquise gave the supreme accolade of her approval to the sculptors Pigalle and Falconet by posing for them at full length.’
- ‘The loss of her mother affected Marion's ability to sleep for more than one or two hours at a time, making her an ideal ‘busy girl’ for the marquise, who demands a servant's presence to guard her through the night.’
- ‘The marquise, worried that Yvette has fallen asleep without extinguishing her candle, decides that someone must check on her.’
- ‘‘We have already agreed that this is the badge of a marquis or of a marquise,’ said he.’
- ‘The marquise soon ended the suspense by attending the queen and appearing at court functions more highly rouged and magnificently arrayed than ever.’
- ‘So while Boucher's portrait of the marquise at her toilette is to be the focal point of this essay, also of great importance are the cultural debates encompassing it.’
- ‘In Mine de Pompadour at Her Toilette the marquise is shown in the act of performing her toilette.’
- ‘She was perfectly cast as the marquise Eloise and her dry, deadpan humour was a joy to behold.’
- ‘However, it is my argument that the significance of this picture goes still beyond the specifics of the marquise's tribulations at court.’
- ‘Parenthetically I would mention that the flirtatiously deferential pose of the woman in Morning, with her tilted head and averted eyes, highlights the surprisingly uncoquettish demeanor of the marquise.’
- ‘In 1756 the question of Pompadour's use of rouge was a pressing one because it was directly related to the marquise's standing in the court, as was the ceremonial performance of her toilette.’
- ‘She said the marquise had a kind heart, and fell in love with a common man.’
- ‘Boucher's next portrait of the marquise was painted in 1759, well after she had ceased to share the King's bed.’
- ‘It must be said, however, that the Fogg portrait is not absolutely coherent as a mirror image because the cameo bracelet the marquise wears is not shown reversed.’
- ‘For one thing, less politically motivated assessments of the marquise describe her as a beautiful woman up until the time of her death at the ‘great’ age of forty-three.’
- ‘After the marquise's death Voltaire wrote that he mourned her as part of his gratitude to her.’
- 1.1 A woman holding the rank of marquis in her own right.
- ‘She then became the official mistress of Louis XV and marquise before ending up as lady-in-waiting to the queen, de facto minister, and pious, platonic consort of the king.’
- ‘Within four months the king made her marquise de Pompadour and pensioned her husband off to farm in the country.’
- ‘With her thirtieth year had come promotion to the rank of duchesse, although she preferred the tide of marquise.’
2A finger ring set with a pointed oval gem or cluster of gems.
- ‘The reason it was newsworthy this time was the fact that she had been recently spotted sporting a huge marquise cut diamond ring on the all-important ring finger.’
- ‘If you have short fingers or small hands wearing a marquise or oval shape diamond ring will wear your fingers look longer.’
- ‘The 1.0-carat stone was fashioned into a marquise and shows several tiny unidentified mineral inclusions only visible under the microscope.’
- ‘A five stone diamond, 18 carat gold eternity ring; an 18 carat gold marquise oval cluster ring; and an 18 carat gold single diamond twist ring were taken.’
- ‘The simple yet sophisticated lines of marquise diamond engagement rings make them one of the most popular choices for bridal sets as well as other accented rings and solitaires.’
3archaic term for marquee (sense 2 of the noun)
- ‘Pressed metal was widely used in the late 1800s and early 1900s to decorate ceilings and walls as well as exteriors such as store fronts, awnings, marquises and building cornices.’
- ‘The world's most successful musical theater impresario had his muse and the muse had roles written for her and her name spelled with big letters on theater marquises.’
4A chilled dessert similar to a chocolate mousse.
- ‘The dark chocolate marquise with two chocolate sauces had hardly arrived at the table when it disappeared, testimony to its excellent flavour.’
- ‘The chocolate marquise is fabulously simple, and if you wanted you could equally serve it frozen as a parfait.’
- ‘In comes a white chocolate marquise and a French brioche toast with strawberries and ice cream.’
- ‘As diners savoured their delicious Chocolate marquise and sipped their coffee and tea, the ballroom's lights dimmed and the audience stilled as the evening's program began.’
- ‘I had a thin slice of chocolate marquise and a slice of chocolate and mocha cake.’
Early 17th century: French, feminine of marquis.
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