Illustration of mignonette
- mignonette 1
mignonette
noun
mi·gnon·ette ˌmin-yə-ˈnet 
1
: any of a genus (Reseda of the family Resedaceae, the mignonette family) of herbs
especially : a garden annual (R. odorata) bearing racemes of fragrant whitish flowers
2
: a sauce made typically with vinegar, pepper, and herbs and served especially with oysters
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Briny local oysters shine brighter with a judicious splash of yuzu mignonette. 
The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 8 Sep. 2022 To this lover of raw bivalves and tart heat, the Scotch-bonnet mignonette tasted like a far superior alternative to my usual D.I.Y. treatment—lemons squeezed to smithereens and a soup of Tabasco. The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2022 East and West Coast oysters with a fresh apple mignonette; a whole Maine lobster with horseradish cream and pear-habanero relish; and a traditional shrimp cocktail with cocktail sauce. Alyson Sheppard, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2022 The version here takes a light hand with the sweetness, and is an unexpectedly fine companion for oysters on the halfshell with kiwi-grapefruit mignonette, before the steaks and Martinis begin. Matthew Kronsberg, WSJ, 1 Mar. 2022 With unadorned raw oysters or oysters and mignonette, the classics — Muscadet, Chablis and Sancerre — are all wonderful. Melissa Clark, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2021 So formidable chef Lincoln Carson, who’s also working on the forthcoming Mes Amis restaurant at the Thompson Hollywood, serves a terrific burger, hamachi crudo and Kusshi oysters with rosé Champagne mignonette. Andy Wang, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2021 Travelers paddle out to the sea farm, and, upon arrival, workers provide an overview of the operation—before shucking oysters right out of the water and passing them around with lemon wedges and mignonette. Kelsey Ogletree, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2021 From the traditional mignonette and Rockefeller preparations to funky shooters like kale, sriracha and Pabst Blue Ribbon. Mara Severin, Anchorage Daily News, 27 June 2021 See More
The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 8 Sep. 2022 To this lover of raw bivalves and tart heat, the Scotch-bonnet mignonette tasted like a far superior alternative to my usual D.I.Y. treatment—lemons squeezed to smithereens and a soup of Tabasco. The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2022 East and West Coast oysters with a fresh apple mignonette; a whole Maine lobster with horseradish cream and pear-habanero relish; and a traditional shrimp cocktail with cocktail sauce. Alyson Sheppard, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2022 The version here takes a light hand with the sweetness, and is an unexpectedly fine companion for oysters on the halfshell with kiwi-grapefruit mignonette, before the steaks and Martinis begin. Matthew Kronsberg, WSJ, 1 Mar. 2022 With unadorned raw oysters or oysters and mignonette, the classics — Muscadet, Chablis and Sancerre — are all wonderful. Melissa Clark, New York Times, 17 Dec. 2021 So formidable chef Lincoln Carson, who’s also working on the forthcoming Mes Amis restaurant at the Thompson Hollywood, serves a terrific burger, hamachi crudo and Kusshi oysters with rosé Champagne mignonette. Andy Wang, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2021 Travelers paddle out to the sea farm, and, upon arrival, workers provide an overview of the operation—before shucking oysters right out of the water and passing them around with lemon wedges and mignonette. Kelsey Ogletree, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2021 From the traditional mignonette and Rockefeller preparations to funky shooters like kale, sriracha and Pabst Blue Ribbon. Mara Severin, Anchorage Daily News, 27 June 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
French mignonnette, from obsolete French, feminine of mignonnet dainty, from Middle French, from mignon darling
First Known Use
1785, in the meaning defined at sense 1