debutante
Sign in to savethumb|Debutantes at the Chrysanthemum Ball in Munich (2012) A debutante, also spelled débutante ( ; from , ), or deb is a young woman of aristocratic or upper-class family background who has reached maturity and is presented to society at a formal "debut" ( , ; ) or debutante ball. Originally, the term indicated that the woman was old enough to be married, and one purpose of her "coming out" was to display her to eligible bachelors and their families with a view to marriage within a select circle.
Article
13 sectionsContents
- Austria
- Australia
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- In popular culture
- United States
- American debutante balls
- Debutante balls in American television and films
- Latin America
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|Debutantes at the Chrysanthemum Ball in Munich (2012) A debutante, also spelled débutante ( ; from , ), or deb is a young woman of aristocratic or upper-class family background who has reached maturity and is presented to society at a formal "debut" ( , ; ) or debutante ball. Originally, the term indicated that the woman was old enough to be married, and one purpose of her "coming out" was to display her to eligible bachelors and their families with a view to marriage within a select circle.
A debutante ball, sometimes called a coming-out party, is a formal ball that includes presenting debutantes during the social season, usually during the spring or summer. Debutante balls may require prior instruction in social etiquette and appropriate morals.