née

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   used before a married woman's birth surname

   The archive lists the author as Eleanor Norton, née Adler.

2. 2
   adj

   used more broadly to introduce a former name or identity

   The company, née Riverside Textiles, retained its original factory.

Borrowed from French née, 'born,' the feminine past participle of naître, from Latin nasci, 'to be born.' English traditionally uses the feminine form before a woman's birth surname and sometimes extends it humorously to former names generally.

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