Tête-à-tête

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ËŒtÉ›t.əˈtÉ›t/, /ËŒteɪt.əˈteɪt/

Origin

Borrowing from fr {{2}} tête-à-tête ("head-to-head")

Full definition of tête-à-tête

Noun

1. A face-to-face meeting, or private conversation between two people, usually in an intimate setting; a head-to-head.
• 31 January 2015, Daniel Taylor, David Silva seizes point for Manchester City as Chelsea are checked, Fernandinho and Fernando made Yaya Touré’s absence not feel important and Mourinho became so agitated it required a tête-à-tête with Mark Clattenburg on the touchline.
2. A bench or sofa that allows two people to talk face-to-face.

Adverb

1. In private, between two people; head-to-head.
• 1977, John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy, Folio Society 2010, p. 10:In particular his tête-à-tête luncheons were described, to which, as it now turned out, practically every journalist listening had at one time or another been invited.

Synonyms

• (private meeting) head-to-head
• (bench) courting bench, kissing bench, conversation bench