A small floral design or flower-shaped ornament, particularly in heraldry and decorative art; a delicate diminutive form of a flower.
From Old French 'fleurette,' a diminutive of 'fleur' (flower) from Latin 'flos.' The '-ette' suffix emphasizes the small, delicate nature of the design or flower being referenced.
Medieval tapestries and manuscripts are covered with tiny fleurettes as decorative space-fillers—scribes would doodle flowers in margins as a signature of their work. Some historians can identify medieval monks by their distinctive fleurette patterns.
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