A small, compacted block of coal dust, charcoal, or other fuel pressed into a convenient shape for burning.
From French 'briquette,' the diminutive form of 'briquet' (small brick), meaning a brick-shaped piece of fuel; the '-ette' suffix indicates a smaller size.
The diminutive suffix '-ette' makes 'briquette' mean 'little brick'—it's the same suffix that makes 'kitchen' into 'kitchenette,' showing how French diminutives infiltrated English!
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