French word

miette

Pronunciation

IPA/mjɛt/

Meaning

  • feminine nouncrumb

Example

Il reste une miette sur la table.

There is still a crumb on the table.

Illustration for miette (crumb)

More examples

Après la fête, il y avait des miettes partout.

After the party, there were crumbs everywhere.

Core concept

One small piece left behind on a surface or used to represent an almost negligible amount.

Common phrases

  • une miette de gâteau

    a crumb of cake

  • des miettes de pain

    bread crumbs

  • toutes les miettes

    all the crumbs

Similar words

morceau: A manageable piece cut from food or another object.
mie: The soft inner part of bread, rather than its crust.
reste: A portion of food remaining after a meal or dish is prepared.

Definition in French

Petit fragment d'aliment, surtout de pain ou de pâtisserie; par extension, une très petite quantité.

Word origin

The noun comes from Old French mie plus the diminutive suffix -ette; mie traces back to Latin mica, a crumb or small particle.

Usage tips

  • The phrase pas une miette strengthens negation, as in ne pas en laisser une miette.

Other meanings

  • fragmentnoun
  • bitnoun

Word lists with this word