Short for debutantes, young women making their formal debut into high society, or the plural of 'deb' for short.
From French 'débutante,' feminine form of 'début' meaning 'beginning' (from 'débuter' to begin). The tradition comes from aristocratic society where young women were formally presented.
Debutante balls are dying out in modern America, but in Britain they still exist—they originated as a way for aristocratic families to show off their daughters' marriage prospects, like Instagram for the 1700s!
Debutante culture institutionalized elite women as marriageable commodities on the marriage market; debutant balls were exclusionary rituals tied to class, whiteness, and heterosexual pairing.
Use historically when relevant; avoid romanticizing as neutral 'coming-of-age' without naming class and gender gatekeeping.
["young adults making social debut"]
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