Debutante

A debutante, also spelled débutante (/ˈdɛbjʊtɑːnt/ DEB-yuu-tahnt; from French: débutante [debytɑ̃t], 'female beginner'), or deb is a young woman of aristocratic or upper-class family background who has reached maturity and is presented to society at a formal "debut" (UK: /ˈdeɪbjuː, ˈdɛbjuː/ DAY-bew, DEB-yoo, US: /deɪˈbjuː/ day-BEW; French: début [deby]) or possibly debutante ball. Originally, the term meant that the woman was old enough to be married, and part of the purpose of her coming out was to display her to eligible bachelors and their families with a view to marriage within a select circle.