Meanings
bassinet1
bassinet2
plural bassinets · alternative bassinette
- alternativeAlternative form of bascinet.
Alleyne stood by the tiller, looking backwards, the fresh wind full in his teeth, the crisp winter air tingling on his face and blowing his yellow curls from under his bassinet.
1891, Arthur Conan Doyle, The White Company, chapter 161 more example
Bassinets were worn in the reigns of Edward II. and III. and Richard II. by most of the English Infantry, as may be repeatedly seen in the Rolls of Parliament, and other public records.
1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 11
Origin
bassinet · noun
- Frenchbassinet“small basin”
- Englishbassinet
From French bassinet (“small basin”), equivalent to basin + -et. Ernest Klein, however, suggests derivation from French bercelonnette (“cradle”), with influence from bassin(et), to account for the English sense's semantic specialization.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan bacinet
- bacinettype of newborn baby's bed
Finnish vauvankori
- vauvankoritype of newborn baby's bed
French bercelonnette
- bercelonnettetype of newborn baby's bed
German Wiege
- Wiegetype of newborn baby's bed
Hungarian mózeskosár
- mózeskosártype of newborn baby's bed
Māori wahakura
- wahakuratype of newborn baby's bed
Spanish moisés, cuco
- moiséstype of newborn baby's bed
- cucotype of newborn baby's bed
Cite this entry
bassinet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bassinet
“bassinet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bassinet. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bassinet,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bassinet.
Source: bassinet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.