tête-à-têteadv.n.adj.

Brit.

/teɪtəˈteɪt/,

/teɪtɑːˈteɪt/, U.S.

/ˌteɪdəˈteɪt/,

/ˌtɛdəˈtɛt/

Forms: Also 1600s tate a tate.

Etymology: < French tête à tête, adverb and noun, lit. ‘head to head’ (17th cent. in Molière); compare teste à teste together (in single combat), 16th cent. in Godefroy Compl.

A. adv.

Together without the presence of a third person; in private (of two persons); face to face.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > conversation > [adverb] > privately

tête-à-tête1710

the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [adverb] > intimately or familiarly > face to face or in private

head-to-head1697

tête-à-tête1710

1710 W. Congreve Way of World (rev. ed.) i. ix, in Wks. II. 639 Ay tete a tete; But not in publick.

1713 J. Swift Imit. Hor. Sat. ii. vi. 106 My lord and he are grown so great, Always together tête-à-tête.

1790 W. Scott Let. 3 Sept. (1932) I. 15 I dined two days ago tête à tête with Lord Buchan.

1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) xxix. 249 The General and I were moping together tête-à-tête.

B. n. (plural tête-à-têtes.)

1. A private conversation or interview between two persons; also concrete a party of two.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > conversation > [noun] > private conversation

sunder-roundingOE

roundingOE

sunder-speechOE

sunder-rounc1175

tête-à-tête1697

closeting1762

hob-nob1876

head-to-head1884

pillow talk1914

1697 J. Vanbrugh Relapse iv. 72 I..have pretended Letters to write, to give my Friends—à Tate à Tate.

1738 Gentleman's Mag. Jan. 31/1 The Morning Moments, which I take to be the Mollia Tempora, so propitious to Tete a Tetes.

1768 F. Burney Early Jrnls. & Lett. (1988) I. 44 I had the pleasure of a delightful Tete a Tete with him.

1880 ‘Mrs. Forrester’ Roy & Viola I. 55 Seated together on a low couch made expressly for such a tête-à-tête.

2. The name of some special types of sofa, settee, etc., made of such a shape as to enable two persons to converse more or less face to face.

ΘΚΠ

society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > furniture and fittings > seat > sofa or couch > [noun] > for two persons

conversation-chair1793

confidante1794

sociable1811

causeuse1844

love seat1847

tête-à-tête1864

cosy1876

two-seater1891

marquise1904

1864 Webster's Amer. Dict. Eng. Lang. Tête-à-tête,..a form of sofa for two persons, so curved that they are brought face to face while sitting on different sides of the sofa.

1877 E. H. Knight Pract. Dict. Mech. Tete-a-tete, two chairs with seats attached and facing in opposite directions, the arms and backs forming an S-shape.

1889 C. F. Woolson Jupiter Lights xiii. 126 The sofa of this set was of the pattern named tête-à-tête, very hard and slippery.

C. adj.

(attributive use of the noun.) Of or pertaining to a tête-à-tête; consisting of or attended by two persons; tête-à-tête set, a tea-set for two.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > conversation > [adjective] > face-to-face or private

tête-à-tête1728

the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [adjective] > intimate or familiar > face to face or in private

tête-à-tête1728

the world > food and drink > drink > providing or serving drink > serving tea or coffee > [noun] > equipment for serving tea

tea-stand1697

tea-equipage1709

hand board1721

tea-things1747

tea-board1748

tea-ware1766

tea-tray1773

tea-set1786

tea-ladle1808

tea-service1809

tea-wagon1840

tea-ship1854

cabaret1856

tea-cosy1863

Norwegian kitchen1868

tête-à-tête set1870

tea-stall1889

tea basket1891

tea-pot stand1895

tea cart1934

tea-trolley1937

1728 C. Cibber Vanbrugh's Provok'd Husband ii. i. 50 A pretty cheerful tête-à-tête Meal.

1791 J. Boswell Life Johnson anno 1779 II. 283 Johnson: You must not indulge your delicacy too much; or you will be a tête-à-tête man all your life.

1847 C. Brontë Jane Eyre II. ix. 245 I was determined not to spend the whole time in a tête-à-tête conversation.

1870 L. M. Alcott Old-fashioned Girl viii. 163 Such a cunning teakettle and saucepan, and a tête-à-tête set.

Derivatives

tête-à-tête v. intransitive, to engage in private conversation (together or with another).

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > conversation > converse [verb (intransitive)] > privately or familiarly

to rouk and rounda1450

tête-à-tête1861

schmooze1884

pillow-talk1953

1861 E. C. Gaskell Let. 10 June (1966) 657 The reason why she & I were tête à têteing in this way was that Mr Gaskell was gone to Liverpool.

1943 Two Masques Nov. 4/2 Maureen O'Hara, Patricia Morison and Martha O'Driscoll are the ladies with whom Garfield goes ‘tete-a-tete’ing.

1979 G. Swarthout Skeletons 48 I'll tête-à-tête with him, too.

This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1911; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	tête-à-tête
释义	tête-à-têteadv.n.adj. Brit. /teɪtəˈteɪt/, /teɪtɑːˈteɪt/, U.S. /ˌteɪdəˈteɪt/, /ˌtɛdəˈtɛt/ Forms: Also 1600s tate a tate. Etymology: < French tête à tête, adverb and noun, lit. ‘head to head’ (17th cent. in Molière); compare teste à teste together (in single combat), 16th cent. in Godefroy Compl. A. adv. Together without the presence of a third person; in private (of two persons); face to face. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > conversation > [adverb] > privately tête-à-tête1710 the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [adverb] > intimately or familiarly > face to face or in private head-to-head1697 tête-à-tête1710 1710 W. Congreve Way of World (rev. ed.) i. ix, in Wks. II. 639 Ay tete a tete; But not in publick. 1713 J. Swift Imit. Hor. Sat. ii. vi. 106 My lord and he are grown so great, Always together tête-à-tête. 1790 W. Scott Let. 3 Sept. (1932) I. 15 I dined two days ago tête à tête with Lord Buchan. 1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) xxix. 249 The General and I were moping together tête-à-tête. B. n. (plural tête-à-têtes.) 1. A private conversation or interview between two persons; also concrete a party of two. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > conversation > [noun] > private conversation sunder-roundingOE roundingOE sunder-speechOE sunder-rounc1175 tête-à-tête1697 closeting1762 hob-nob1876 head-to-head1884 pillow talk1914 1697 J. Vanbrugh Relapse iv. 72 I..have pretended Letters to write, to give my Friends—à Tate à Tate. 1738 Gentleman's Mag. Jan. 31/1 The Morning Moments, which I take to be the Mollia Tempora, so propitious to Tete a Tetes. 1768 F. Burney Early Jrnls. & Lett. (1988) I. 44 I had the pleasure of a delightful Tete a Tete with him. 1880 ‘Mrs. Forrester’ Roy & Viola I. 55 Seated together on a low couch made expressly for such a tête-à-tête. 2. The name of some special types of sofa, settee, etc., made of such a shape as to enable two persons to converse more or less face to face. ΘΚΠ society > inhabiting and dwelling > inhabited place > a building > furniture and fittings > seat > sofa or couch > [noun] > for two persons conversation-chair1793 confidante1794 sociable1811 causeuse1844 love seat1847 tête-à-tête1864 cosy1876 two-seater1891 marquise1904 1864 Webster's Amer. Dict. Eng. Lang. Tête-à-tête,..a form of sofa for two persons, so curved that they are brought face to face while sitting on different sides of the sofa. 1877 E. H. Knight Pract. Dict. Mech. Tete-a-tete, two chairs with seats attached and facing in opposite directions, the arms and backs forming an S-shape. 1889 C. F. Woolson Jupiter Lights xiii. 126 The sofa of this set was of the pattern named tête-à-tête, very hard and slippery. C. adj. (attributive use of the noun.) Of or pertaining to a tête-à-tête; consisting of or attended by two persons; tête-à-tête set, a tea-set for two. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > conversation > [adjective] > face-to-face or private tête-à-tête1728 the mind > emotion > love > friendliness > [adjective] > intimate or familiar > face to face or in private tête-à-tête1728 the world > food and drink > drink > providing or serving drink > serving tea or coffee > [noun] > equipment for serving tea tea-stand1697 tea-equipage1709 hand board1721 tea-things1747 tea-board1748 tea-ware1766 tea-tray1773 tea-set1786 tea-ladle1808 tea-service1809 tea-wagon1840 tea-ship1854 cabaret1856 tea-cosy1863 Norwegian kitchen1868 tête-à-tête set1870 tea-stall1889 tea basket1891 tea-pot stand1895 tea cart1934 tea-trolley1937 1728 C. Cibber Vanbrugh's Provok'd Husband ii. i. 50 A pretty cheerful tête-à-tête Meal. 1791 J. Boswell Life Johnson anno 1779 II. 283 Johnson: You must not indulge your delicacy too much; or you will be a tête-à-tête man all your life. 1847 C. Brontë Jane Eyre II. ix. 245 I was determined not to spend the whole time in a tête-à-tête conversation. 1870 L. M. Alcott Old-fashioned Girl viii. 163 Such a cunning teakettle and saucepan, and a tête-à-tête set. Derivatives tête-à-tête v. intransitive, to engage in private conversation (together or with another). ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > conversation > converse [verb (intransitive)] > privately or familiarly to rouk and rounda1450 tête-à-tête1861 schmooze1884 pillow-talk1953 1861 E. C. Gaskell Let. 10 June (1966) 657 The reason why she & I were tête à têteing in this way was that Mr Gaskell was gone to Liverpool. 1943 Two Masques Nov. 4/2 Maureen O'Hara, Patricia Morison and Martha O'Driscoll are the ladies with whom Garfield goes ‘tete-a-tete’ing. 1979 G. Swarthout Skeletons 48 I'll tête-à-tête with him, too. This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1911; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < adv.n.adj.1697
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