bassinet

English

Mother with a Child in a Wicker Cradle by Samuel Dirksz van Hoogstraten.

Alternative forms

• bassinette

Etymology 1

From French bassinet (“small basin”), equivalent to basin +‎ -et. Ernest Klein, however, suggests derision from French bercelonnette (“cradle”), with influence from bassin(et), to account for the English sense.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌbæsɪˈnɛt/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌbæsɪˈnɛt/, /ˈbæsɪˌnɛt/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

bassinet (plural bassinets)

1. A newborn baby's bed, traditionally woven with reeds or straw; a (wicker) cradle.
   • 2020, Avni Doshi, Burnt Sugar, Hamish Hamilton, page 198:

     The next day, the baby sleeps in a bassinet near my bed.

Translations

type of newborn baby's bed

• Finnish: vauvankori
• French: bercelonnette (fr) f
• German: Wiege (de) f
• Hungarian: mózeskosár (hu)
• Maori: wahakura
• Spanish: moisés (es) m
• Tarifit: tazyawt f

See also

• bassinet on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Etymology 2

Noun

bassinet (plural bassinets)

1. Alternative form of bascinet.
   • 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 11:

     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.

   • 1891, Arthur Conan Doyle, The White Company, chapter 16:

     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.

Anagrams

• basinets, besaints, bestains, stibanes

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ba.si.nɛ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

bassinet m (plural bassinets)

1. diminutive of bassin.

Derived terms

• cracher au bassinet

Further reading

• “bassinet”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.