This French word translates directly as “singer,” and in French, the way nouns are spelled indicates whether they are masculine or feminine. In this case, the “-euse” tells us that the singer is a woman. You can imagine a sultry nightclub singer, a bubblegum pop princess, a diva belting out her greatest hits, or your best friend singing into her hairbrush microphone. A chanteuse can be any woman singing to her heart’s content.