the.com/debutant
Someone doing it publicly for the first time, praying no one notices the trembling.
means A person making their first public appearance or attempt at something, whether on a stage, in society, or in a profession.
from From French débutant, the present participle of débuter, 'to lead off' or 'make the first move'—originally a term from games like billiards or bowls, where the 'but' was the target or mark you aimed for, and the first stroke of the game was the débutant's shot. By the 1700s French society had borrowed it for young women making their formal entrance into social life, and English picked it up wholesale, aim and trembling included.
- origin
- from French débuter, to lead off
- usage
- once meant society girls, now covers anyone unseasoned
- irony
- the label vanishes the moment it stops being true
- sports sense
- an athlete playing their first official match