Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The practices and forms prescribed by social convention or by authority.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A ticket or label, specifically one attached to a specimen of natural history.
  • noun Conventional requirement or custom in regard to social behavior or observance; prescriptive usage, especially in polite society or for ceremonial intercourse; propriety of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion; good manners; polite behavior.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The forms required by good breeding, or prescribed by authority, to be observed in social or official life; observance of the proprieties of rank and occasion; conventional decorum; ceremonial code of polite society.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The forms required by good breeding, or prescribed by authority, to be observed in social or official life; observance of the proprieties of rank and occasion; conventional decorum; ceremonial code of polite society.
  • noun The customary behavior of members of a profession, business, law, or sports team towards each other.
  • noun A label used to indicate that a letter is to be sent by airmail.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun rules governing socially acceptable behavior

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, from Old French estiquet, label; see ticket.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

1740, from French étiquette "property, a little piece of paper, or a mark or title, affixed to a bag or bundle, expressing its contents, a label, ticket" from Middle French estiquette ("ticket, memorandum"), from Old French estiquette, from estechier, estichier, estequier "to attach, stick", (compare Picard estiquier "to stick, pierce"), from Frankish *stikkan, stikjan ("to stick, pierce, sting"), from Proto-Germanic *stikanan, *stikōnan, *staikijanan (“to be sharp, pierce, prick”), from Proto-Indo-European *st(e)ig-, *(s)teig- (“to be sharp, to stab”). Akin to Old High German stehhan "to stick, attach, nail" (German stechen "to stick"), Old English stician "to pierce, stab, be fastened". The French Court of Louis XIV at Versailles used étiquettes, "little cards", to remind courtiers to keep off of the grass and similar rules. More at stick (verb), stitch.

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Examples

  • In one direction they lay upon us the bonds of what we call etiquette,

    Prejudices : first series, 1919

  • As you would expect in a country that came up with the word etiquette, it is easy for foreigners to commit faux pas in France.

    NEWS.com.au | Top Stories 2011

  • So the bagger relents, finally, and we leave, but I feel kind of bad about the whole thing. posted by Daryl Scroggins in etiquette, mental health, relationships, self-help | * | 11 comments comments

    Buyer’s Remorse | clusterflock 2009

  • Is there a certain etiquette to tracking a deer when you know you're going to have to move through another hunters territory, let alone if you find the deer down 60 yards from his stand?

    Etiquette question...I've always rifle hunted and have been lucky to not have to track any of my kills. 2009

  • To modern eyes, the manual can seem overly conscious of presenting a positive image before whites, but otherwise, regarding gender roles, it is no different than what can be found in etiquette manuals aimed at the general populace.

    African-American Etiquette | Edwardian Promenade 2010

  • They quickly turned back to their salads of iceberg lettuce with thousand island dressing, and I thought of how vastly lucky I was to be with a person who would do such a marvelous thing. posted by Deron Bauman in etiquette, family, food, religion | * | 2 comments comments

    From the Comments | clusterflock 2009

  • Office etiquette is not my forte and it always involves greeting people I don't really know ...

    snippets from Nathreee's life nathreee 2010

  • Bobulate parses contemporary uses of the salutation (via): posted by Andrew Simone in etiquette, language | * | comment

    Anatomy of a Salutation | clusterflock 2009

  • And just like in other areas of our lives, etiquette is mandatory.

    Yvonne Durant: Obesity Manners Yvonne Durant 2010

  • We will release a picture shortly. posted by Lucy Foley in etiquette, government, politics | * | 10 comments comments

    The day begins | clusterflock 2009

Comments

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  • Knowing which fingers to put in your mouth when you whistle for the waiter.

    February 17, 2008

  • Its double 't' at the end :)

    February 20, 2008

  • When traveling, it's important to be aware of the etiquette of the culture you will be visiting.

    May 20, 2009