etui

etui or e·twee [ey-twee, et-wee] ExamplesWord Origin noun, plural e·tuis.

1. a small, often decorative case, especially one for needles, toilet articles, or the like.

Origin of etui 1605–15; French étui, Old French estui holder, noun derivative of estuier to keep Vulgar Latin *studiāre to treat with care Examples from the Web for etui Historical Examples of etui

He stepped to his trunk, unlocked it, and took from it an etui containing a number of fans.

Frederick The Great and His Family

L. Muhlbach

British Dictionary definitions for etui étui noun plural étuis

1. a small usually ornamented case for holding needles, cosmetics, or other small articles

Word Origin for étui C17: from French, from Old French estuier to enclose; see tweezers Word Origin and History for etui n.

1610s, from French étui, Old French estui (12c.) “case, box, container,” back-formation from estuier “put in put aside, spare; to keep, shut up, imprison,” of uncertain origin.