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FRENCH | |
| abatis abattis | a means of defense formed by felled trees, the ends of whose branches are sharpened and directed outwards, or against the enemy. |
| abattoir | a slaughterhouse. |
| abattu | cast down, dejected. |
| abature | a trail through a wood beaten down by a stag. |
| abbe | the French word answering to the English abbot, the head of an abbey; but commonly a title of respect given in France to every one vested with the ecclesiastical habit or dress. |
| abbreviature | an abridgement; an abbreviated state or form. |
| aboideau aboiteau | a tide gate. Pl. ABOIDEAUS or ABOIDEAUX. |
| abonnement | a subscription, as for a season ticket or newspaper. |
| abrege | an abridgment. |
| abri | a bomb shelter. |
| absinth absinthe | the wormwood plant or other species of Artemisia; a liqueur made from this. |
| accable | depressed, overwhelmed. The e has an acute accent. |
| accolade | an embrace; the action used in conferring knighthood. |
| accouchement | childbirth; a confinement. |
| accoucheur | a male midwife. Cf. ACCOUCHEUSE. |
| accoucheuse | a female midwife. Cf. ACCOUCHEUR. |
| accoutrement | an accessory item of clothing or equipment — usually used in the plural. |
| acharne | furious, desperate (esp. of battles). The e has an acute accent. |
| acierage | the covering of a metal plate with a film of iron. |
| actualite | the real state of affairs. The e has an acute accent. |
| adieu | a farewell. Pl. ADIEUS or ADIEUX. |
| adjutage ajutage | a tube added to or inserted into an aperture to control the outflow of water, as a pipe at the mouth of an artificial fountain. |
| affaire | liaison, intrigue. |
| affiche | a poster; a placard. |
| agacant | provoking, alluring. |
| agacante | (feminine of AGACANT) provoking, alluring. |
| agacerie | an allurement, coquetry. |
| agiotage | speculative dealing on the stock exchange. |
| agrafe agraffe | a hooked clasp used by masons to hold blocks together. |
| agregation | the examination for post of AGREGE, a French student who has passed a teaching examination. |
| agrege | a French student who has passed a teaching examination. |
| agremens | courtesies, blandishments. N.B. there is no singular AGREMEN*. |
| agrement | the approval by a state of a diplomatic representative sent to it. |
| aide | a confidential assistant to a person of senior rank. |
| aigret aigrette | a spray of jewels; ornamental feather plume; an egret. |
| aiguille | a needle-like peak of rock. |
| aiguillette | the metal tag of a lace or string. Also AGLET, AIGLET. |
| aileron | a hinged flap on the trailing edge of an airplane wing that moves up or down for purposes of lateral balance. |
| ailette | a plate of armour worn on the shoulder. |
| aine | elder, senior. |
| ainee | (feminine form of) elder, senior. |
| aioli | a garlic-flavoured mayonnaise. [Fr., f. Prov. ai garlic + oli oil.] |
| alamode | a soft, light silk, used in 19th century for shawls, dresses, etc. [Fr. a la mode, according to the fashion]. |
| alamort | half-dead; dejected. |
| alcool+ | a form of pure grain spirit distilled in Quebec. |
| alencon | a needlepoint lace. [From Alencon, a town in NW France]. |
| alerion allerion | an eagle displayed without feet or beak. |
| alexandrine | a French verse form. |
| allee | an avenue, walk or garden path. |
| allemande | a courtly baroque dance in which the arms are interlaced. |
| allonge | a paper attached to a commercial bill requiring signatures. |
| allons | let's go. |
| almandine almandite | a deep red garnet consisting of an iron aluminum silicate. |
| alternat | the diplomatic practice of determining precedence between powers of equal rank by lot. |
| altesse | highness. |
| amadou | a kind of fungus used as tinder. |
| amandine | albumin in sweet almonds; a cold cream composed of that substance. |
| amarelle | a kind of sour cherry. |
| ambage | a winding; a roundabout way; delay. |
| ambitty | of glass, devitrified. |
| ambuscade | an ambush. |
| amenage | (Obs.) to manage, control. |
| amende | a fine or reparation paid. |
| ami | a (male) friend. |
| amie | a (female) friend. |
| amorce | a percussion cap for a toy pistol. [Fr. amorce, priming]. |
| amort | spiritless, dejected. |
| amour | love. Amour propre: self-respect. |
| amourette | a brief or unimportant love affair. |
| ampere | a unit of electrical current. [From French physicist, A.M. Ampere]. |
| amusette | a light field cannon, or stocked gun mounted on a swivel. |
| anana ananas | the pineapple plant. |
| andouille | a kind of sausage. |
| andouillette | a kind of pork sausage. |
| anisette | a cordial or liqueur flavoured with anise seeds. |
| anomie | a state of society in which normative standards of conduct and belief are weak or lacking. |
| apache | a member of the French underworld. |
| apercu | a brief outline; a glimpse; an intuitive insight. |
| aperitif | a drink taken as an appetiser. |
| apostil apostille | a marginal note. [Fr. apostille]. |
| appartement | a set of rooms in a house for an individual or a family. |
| appel | in fencing, a stamp of the foot in a false attack, in order to create an opening for a hit. |
| applique | a work applied to, or laid on, another material, either of metalwork or lace etc. |
| apport | in psychical research, the supposed transport of material objects without material agency. |
| appui appuy | support; (verb) to support militarily. |
| apres | after. |
| apropos | to the purpose; in reference to. |
| aquarelle | a method of painting in transparent water-color; such painting. |
| arbitrageur | one who makes profit by dealing on the stock exchange. |
| arete | a narrow, saw-toothed mountain ridge developed by glacier erosion in adjacent cirques. |
| argand | a gas or oil lamp. [From A. Argand (1755–1803), French physicist]. |
| argot | an often more or less secret vocabulary and idiom peculiar to a particular group. |
| arkose | a sedimentary rock formed by the cementation of sand-sized grains of feldspar and quartz. |
| armagnac | a kind of brandy distilled in SW France. |
| armet | a kind of light helmet, replacing the BASSINET. |
| armoire | a large decorative wardrobe or chest. |
| armure | a type of fabric with a pebbled surface. |
| arpen arpent | an old French land measure, slightly smaller than an acre. |
| arquebusade | a lotion for shot-wounds. |
| arret | a decision; the judgment of a tribunal. |
| arriere | in the rear, backward. |
| arrondissement | the largest subdivision of a French department. |
| artiste | a performing artist; a professional singer, dancer, actor, etc. |
| ascendeur+ | a metal grip that is threaded on a rope as a climbing aid. |
| aspersoir | an ASPERGILL, a brush-like implement used to sprinkle holy water. |
| assemblage | the collection of minerals that characterize a rock or a facies. |
| assez+ | as part of a musical direction, fairly. |
| assignat | one of the notes, bills, or bonds, issued as currency by the revolutionary government of France (1790-1796), and based on the security of the lands of the church and of nobles which had been appropriated by the state. |
| atelier | an artist's studio or workshop. |
| attache | a junior member of an ambassador’s staff. |
| attentat | something wrongfully done by a judge in a proceeding, pending an appeal. |
| aubade | a song or poem greeting the dawn or about lovers parting at dawn. |
| auberge | an inn. |
| aubergine | an eggplant. |
| aubergiste | an innkeeper. |
| august auguste | a circus clown of the white-faced, bungling type. |
| aune | an ell; a French measure of cloth. |
| auteur | a film director, especially when thought of as the creator of a particular genre and carrying a personal stamp. |
| autocade | a motorcade. |
| autoclave | a kind of French stewpan with a steam-tight lid. |
| autocritique | self-criticism, esp. political. |
| avenir | the future. |
| aviette | an aeroplane driven by manpower, a kind of glider. |
| avion | an aeroplane. |
| avodire | an African tree. The e has an accent. |
| avoirdupois | a system of weights in which the pound (lb.) has 16 ounces. |
| avoyer | a chief magistrate of a free imperial city or canton of Switzerland. |
| babiche | a thong or lace made of rawhide. |
| baccara baccarat | a French card game. |
| badinage | a playful repartee; banter; (verb) to banter. |
| badinerie+ | a name given in the 18th century to a type of quick, light movement in a suite. |
| bagarre | a scuffle or brawl. |
| bagass bagasse | dry residue, especially of sugar cane and beet after extraction of juice, and plants after removal of fibre. |
| bagatelle | a trifle, a thing of no value or importance; a negligible amount. |
| bagnette+ | a long French loaf. Also BAGUET(!), BAGUETTE(!). |
| baguet baguette | a long French loaf. |
| bahut | an ornamental, usu. round-topped chest or cabinet. |
| baignoire | a theatre box on a level with the stalls. |
| bailli | a magistrate. |
| bailliage | jurisdiction. |
| baisemain | a kiss on the hand. |
| baladin balladin | a (male) theatrical dancer. |
| baladine balladine | a (female) theatrical dancer. |
| ballade | a poetic form, originally for singing. |
| ballon | in dancing, a bounciness of step. |
| ballonne | a ballet jump. |
| balzarine | a light cotton dress material. |
| banc | the judge’s bench. |
| bandeau | a narrow band or fillet; a part of a head-dress. Pl. BANDEAUS or BANDEAUX. |
| bandelet | a small flat moulding around a column. |
| banderol banderole | a small banner or streamer. Also BANDROL, BANNEROL, BANNERALL. |
| bandoline | a glutinous pomatum for the hair. |
| banlieue | the territory outside the walls, but within the legal limits, of a town or city. |
| banquette | a raised way or footway above a parapet. |
| baracan barracan | a thick, strong stuff, somewhat like CAMLET; -- still used for outer garments in the Levant. |
| barachois+ | a shallow lagoon formed by a sandbar: BARACHOIS. |
| baragouin | any jargon or unintelligible language. |
| barbastel barbastelle | a long-eared species of bat with hairy lips. |
| barbe | a piece of vertically pleated linen cloth worn over or under the chin, as by nuns. |
| barbet | a variety of small dog, having long curly hair; a tropical bird. |
| barbette | an earthen terrace inside the parapet of a rampart. |
| barbotine | a paste of clay used in decorating coarse pottery in relief. |
| barcarole | a gondolier's song. |
| barege | a gauzelike fabric for ladies' dresses, veils, etc. of worsted, silk and worsted, or cotton and worsted. [From Barèges in Hautes-Pyrénées].]. |
| baregine | a gelatinous mass of bacteria and sulphur found in mineral waters. [From Barèges in Hautes-Pyrénées]. |
| baronne | a baroness. |
| baroque | a bold, vigorous, exuberant artistic style. Also BAROCK, BAROCCO. |
| barquette | a small barque. |
| barre | a horizontal rail used by dancers. |
| barret | a kind of cap formerly worn by soldiers. Also, the flat cap worn by Roman Catholic ecclesiastics. |
| barrette | a bar-shaped hair-clip or hair ornament. |
| barricade | a temporary defensive barrier; (verb) to block, to enclose with a barricade. |
| barrulet | a narrow heraldic bar, one quarter the width of a bar. |
| bascule | an apparatus of which one end rises as the other sinks. |
| basoche | a mediaeval guild of clerks of the parliament of Paris, performers of mystery plays. |
| basque | a short-skirted jacket, or a continuation of a bodice a little below the waist. |
| basquine | an outer petticoat worn by Basque and Spanish women. |
| bassinet basinet basnet | a light, conical helmet. |
| bastide | a French country-house. |
| bastille | a prison; (caps.) the French prison-cum-fortress stormed by the mob in the French Revolution. |
| bastinade | to beat with a stick or baton, especially on the feet. |
| bateau batteau | a boat; esp. a flat-bottomed, clumsy boat used on the Canadian lakes and rivers. Pl. BATEAUX, BATTEAUX. |
| bateleur | a kind of eagle. |
| battement | a movement in ballet , in which one leg is extended to the rear, side and front. |
| batterie | a ballet movement. |
| battu | pertaining to a type of ballet movement. |
| battue | indiscriminate slaughter; the driving of game towards slaughter. |
| bavardage | small talk or chitchat; idle chatter. |
| bayadeer bayadere | a fabric with horizontal stripes in strongly contrasting colours. |
| bearnaise | a rich white sauce flavoured with tarragon. |
| beau | a man who takes great care to dress in the latest fashion; a dandy. Pl. BEAUS or BEAUX. |
| beaucoup | many or much, used as slang. |
| becasse | a woodcock. |
| bechamel | a rich, white sauce, prepared with butter and cream. |
| becquerel | the SI unit of radioactivity. [From A. H. Becquerel (1852–1908), French physicist, discoverer of radioactivity]. |
| bedeguar | a soft spongy gall formed on the branches of sweet-brier and other roses. |
| beguin | in Flanders, a man living a monastic life without vows and with power to return to the world, aka BEGHARD. |
| beguinage | a collection of small houses surrounded by a wall and occupied by a community of Beguines. |
| beguine | a kind of dance. |
| beige | a woollen fabric of undyed wool. |
| beignet | a fritter, a deep-fried ball of choux pastry. |
| belle | a young lady of superior beauty and attractions; a handsome lady, or one who attracts notice in society; a fair lady. |
| benitier | a holy-water stoup. |
| berbere+ | a hot-tasting Ethiopian paste made from garlic, cayenne pepper etc and often used in stews. |
| berceau | a cradle, a covered walk. Pl. BERCEAUX. |
| berceuse | a lullaby. |
| berdache berdash | an American Indian transvestite, adopting, dress, status and role of the opposite sex. [Fr. bardache, male homosexual]. |
| bergamot | a tree of the Orange family, having a roundish or pear-shaped fruit, from the rind of which an essential oil of delicious odour is extracted, much prized as a perfume. Also, the fruit. |
| bergere | a type of easy chair or sofa with cane back and arms. |
| bertillonage | a system of criminal identification by detailed measurements, worked out by Alphonse Bertillon (1853-1914), a Paris police officer. |
| besoin | need, want, desire. |
| betise | stupidity, a stupid act. |
| beton | the French name for concrete; hence, concrete made after the French fashion. |
| beurre | a kind of pear, one with the meat soft and melting. |
| bevue | a blunder, an inadvertent error. |
| bezique | a card game played with two decks of cards. |
| bibelot | a small household ornament or decorative object, a knickknack. Can also refer specifically to a miniature book of elegant design (Tiffany and Faberge made them). |
| bidet | a shallow oval basin used for washing esp. the genital and anal regions. |
| bidon | a container for liquids. |
| bidonville | a shanty town with dwellings made from oil-drums. |
| bigarade | a bitter Seville orange. |
| bijou | a trinket; a jewel; -- a word applied to anything small and of elegant workmanship. Pl. BIJOUS or BIJOUX. |
| bijouterie | jewellery, esp. trinkets. |
| billon | base metal, an alloy of copper, tin or silver. |
| binocle | a dioptric telescope, fitted with two tubes joining, so as to enable a person to view an object with both eyes at once; a double-barrelled field glass or an opera glass. |
| bis | twice. |
| bise bize | a cold dry northerly wind, mainly prevalent in spring, that occurs in and near Switzerland. |
| bisque | a point allowed to a tennis player; a stroke(s) allowed to golfer; an extra turn allowed to croquet player; a kind of rich thick soup; pottery fired but not glazed. |
| bivouac | (verb) to remain in the open air (esp. during the night) without tents etc. |
| bizarrerie | something bizarre. |
| blague | humbug; pretentious nonsense. |
| blagueur | one who talks BLAGUE, talks humbug. |
| blanchisseuse | a laundress. |
| blancmange | an opaque jelly made with isinglass or gelatin and milk or (now usu.) cornflour and milk, often flavoured and sweetened. |
| blanquet | a kind of pear. |
| blanquette | a stew based on lamb, chicken and veal. |
| blase | having the sensibilities deadened by excess or frequency of enjoyment; sated or surfeited with pleasure; used up. |
| bleuatre | bluish. |
| bloc | a combination of States, parties, groups, or people, formed to promote a particular interest. |
| blouson | a loose outer garment gathered into a waistband. |
| bluet | any of various blue-flowered plants; esp. the cornflower. |
| bluette | a spark, a flash; a short playful piece of music. |
| bocage | a decorative representation of trees, leaves, etc. |
| boeuf+ | as in boeuf bourguignon, a casserole of beef, herbs etc cooked in red wine. No -S. |
| boiserie | wood panelling on a wall. |
| boite | a night-club. |
| bombardier | in the British army, a non-commissioned officer in the artillery. |
| bombasine bombazine | a twilled silk and worsted fabric. |
| bombe | a dessert, usu. ice-cream in a melon shape. |
| bon | good. |
| bonbon | a sweet. |
| bonbonniere | a fancy box for holding sweets. |
| bongrace | a projecting bonnet or shade to protect the complexion; also, a wide-brimmed hat. |
| bonhomie bonhommie | good nature; pleasant and easy manner. |
| boniface | the proprietor of a hotel, nightclub or restaurant: innkeeper. |
| bonjour | good day. |
| bonne | a French maid or nursemaid. |
| bonsoir | good evening. |
| bordeaux | a red or white wine. |
| bordereau | a detailed bill or invoice. Pl. BORDEREAUX. |
| bottine | a small boot; a surgical boot for correcting deformity. |
| bouche | the staff of cooks in a large house. |
| bouchee | a small patty. |
| boucle | a kind of rough-textured yarn or cloth. |
| bouclee+ | a support for a cue in billiards. |
| bouderie | a pouting, sulking. |
| boudin+ | a black pudding. |
| boudoir | a lady's private room. |
| bouffant | a kind of hairdo. |
| bouffe | a comic opera. |
| bougie | a wax candle; a flexible medical instrument for insertion into body passages. |
| bouillabaisse | a kind of fish soup. |
| bouilli | boiled meat. |
| bouillon | a nutritious liquid food made by boiling beef, or other meat, in water; a clear soup or broth. |
| bouillotte | a card game resembling poker. |
| boulevard | a broad street (esp. in France) with rows of trees planted along it. |
| boulevardier | a person who frequents (French) boulevards. |
| bouleversement | an overturning; reversal; ruin. |
| boulle | a form of marquetry with e.g. gold and silver inlaid in tortoiseshell, same as BUHL. [From Charles Andre Boulle]. |
| bouquet | a bunch of flowers. |
| bouquetiere | a flower-girl. |
| bourasque | a tempest. |
| bourdon | the drone bass of a bagpipe or organ. |
| bourg | a town beside a castle, a market-town. |
| bourgeois | a member of the BOURGEOISIE, the middle classes |
| bourgeoise | a female BOURGEOIS. |
| bourgeoisie | the middle classes. |
| bourguignon | of meat dishes, stewed with onions, mushrooms and Burgundy wine. [Fr. 'from Burgundy']. |
| bourree | an old French dance tune in common time. |
| bourride | a fish dish from Provence. |
| bourse | a commercial exchange, specif: a European stock exchange. |
| boursier | a foundation-scholar; a speculator on the Stock Exchange. |
| boursin+ | a type of cheese. |
| boutade | a sudden outburst or outbreak. |
| boutique | a shop, or department in a store, selling (esp. fashionable) clothes or accessories. |
| bouton | an enlargement of the end of a nerve-fibre. |
| boutonne | reserved, reticent. |
| boutonniere | a buttonhole. |
| bouvier | a kind of large dog. |
| boyau | a communication trench. [Fr. boyau, bowel]. Pl. BOYAUX. |
| bradoon bridoon | a light military bridle. |
| brancard | a horse-litter. |
| brandade | a Provencal dish made with salt fish, olive oil, garlic and cream. |
| branle bransle brantle | an old French dance or dance-tune. |
| brassage | a mint-charge to cover the cost of coining money. |
| brasserie | a restaurant serving alcoholic beverages, especially beer, as well as food. |
| brassiere | a woman’s undergarment worn to support the breasts. |
| breloque | an ornament attached to a watch. |
| breton | a kind of hat with a rounded crown and turned up brim. |
| brevete | patented |
| briard | a kind of rugged French dog. |
| bricabrac | old curiosities, knick-knacks. |
| bricolage | a construction using whatever comes to hand. |
| bricole | a shot in billiards, involving a rebound; a mediaeval military catapult. |
| brigue | to intrigue. |
| brioche | a kind of soft roll, made with eggs, butter, flour and yeast. |
| briolette | a pear-shaped gem. |
| briquet briquette | a brick-shaped block made of compressed coal-dust. |
| brisance | the shattering or crushing effect of an explosion. |
| brisant | explosive, shattering. |
| brise | a movement in dancing. |
| brisure | a part of a parapet breaking from the general direction. |
| brocade | a rich silk fabric with raised patterns; (verb) to weave with a raised design. |
| brocard | an elementary legal principle or maxim. [Fr., or med.L brocardus, appellative use of the Latinized form of Burchart, 11th-cent. bishop of Worms and compiler of volumes of ecclesiastical rules.] |
| brocatel brocatelle | a kind of coarse brocade, or figured fabric, used chiefly for tapestry, linings for carriages, etc. |
| broche | woven with a figure; as, broche goods; (noun) such a fabric. |
| brochette | a skewer for holding food steady while cooking. |
| brodekin brodkin | a BUSKIN or half-boot. |
| brouhaha bruhaha | a fuss, clamour. |
| bruit | something rumoured widely; (verb) to report or spread rumour. |
| brule | in cooking, lightly burnt. |
| brulot | a biting fly. |
| brunet brunette | brown-haired. |
| brusquerie | a demonstration of BRUSQUENESS. |
| brut | of wines, unsweetened, dry. |
| bureau | a writing-desk with drawers for papers etc. Pl. BUREAUS or BUREAUX. |
| buret burette | an apparatus for delivering measured quantities of liquid or for measuring the quantity of liquid or gas received or discharged. |
| burganet burgonet | a visored helmet that can be fitted or attached to the gorget or neck-piece. Also, a pikeman’s light steel cap. |
| burlesque burlesk | a ludicrous imitation. |
| bustier | a strapless long-line brassiere. |
| butte | a narrow flat-topped hill of resistant rock with very steep sides. |
| buvette | a small refreshment bar at the roadside. |
| caba cabas | a woman's work-basket. |
| cabernet | a type of black grape used to produce a dry red wine. |
| cabochon | a precious stone polished but uncut, or cut rounded on the top but flat on the back. |
| cabotage | shipping and sailing between points in the same country. |
| cabre | rearing up. (The e has an accent). |
| cabriole | a curved furniture leg ending in a ball; an exuberant dance or caper. |
| cabriolet | a kind of two-wheeled carriage. |
| cachalot cacholot | a sperm whale. |
| cachepot | an ornamental container used to conceal a flowerpot. |
| cachet | a seal of approval; a mark of prestige; (verb) to print a design on an envelope. |
| cacholong | an opaque or milk-white chalcedony, a variety of quartz; also, a similar variety of opal. [Fr. f. Mongolian kas chilagun precious stone]. |
| cacolet | a military mule litter. |
| cadeau | a present. |
| cadelle | a small black beetle. [Fr., from L. catellus, little dog]. |
| cadrans | an instrument by which a gem is adjusted while being cut. Pl. CADRANSES. |
| cadre | a permanent establishment of trained personnel forming a nucleus for expansion at need. |
| cafard | severe depression or apathy; also, idiomatically, the blues. |
| cafetiere | a type of coffee-maker. |
| cagot | one of an outcast class found in the Pyrenees, supposed to be the descendants of lepers. |
| cagoul cagoule | a lightweight, weatherproof anorak. Also KAGOOL, KAGOUL, KAGOULE. |
| cahier | a number of sheets of paper put loosely together; esp. one of the successive portions of a work printed in numbers. |
| caille | in cooking, a quail. |
| caique | a light skiff used on the Bosphorus. |
| cajun | a descendant of the French-speaking Acadians deported to Louisiana in 1755. |
| calash caleche calesa | a light low-wheeled carriage with folding top. |
| calembour | a pun. |
| calenture | sunstroke, or other fever or delirium due to heat. |
| calotte | a Roman Catholic skullcap. |
| caloyer | a monk of the Greek Church; a cenobite, anchoret, or recluse of the rule of St. Basil, especially, one on or near Mt. Athos. |
| calvados | a French apple brandy. |
| camaieu | a cameo. Pl. CAMAIEUX. |
| camaraderie | friendship. |
| camion | a flat, low, four-wheeled truck or dray. |
| camisole | a loose underbodice with thin shoulder straps instead of sleeves. |
| camouflet | a mine used to destroy underground enemy emplacement. [Fr. camouflet, a whiff of smoke intentionally blown in the face, an affront]. |
| camoufleur | a person or animal skilled in the art of camouflage. |
| canaille | riffraff; the mob; rabble. |
| canape | a small savoury biscuit. |
| canard | a false or unfounded report or story. |
| cancan | a French dance. |
| cannelure | a groove or fluting, esp. around a bullet etc. |
| capelin caplin capelan | a small marine fish, very abundant on the coasts of Greenland, Iceland, Newfoundland, and Alaska, used as a bait for the cod. |
| capellet | a cyst-like swelling on a horse’s hock. |
| caponier caponiere | a work made across or in the ditch, to protect it from the enemy, or to serve as a covered passageway. |
| caporal | a coarse, strong, dark tobacco. |
| capote | a long cloak or overcoat, especially one with a hood. |
| capriole | a leap and kick performed by a trained horse; (verb) to make such a kick. |
| caracol caracole | a half turn by a trained horse; a caper; (verb) to make such turn. |
| carafe | a glass bottle for water or wine at a table, in a bedroom, etc. |
| carcel | a French mechanical lamp, for lighthouses, in which a superabundance of oil is pumped to the wick tube by clockwork. [From Carcel, its French inventor]. |
| cardecu cardecue | an old French silver coin. [Fr. quart d'ecu]. |
| careme | Lent. |
| carillon | a chime of bells diatonically tuned, played by clockwork or by finger keys. [LL. quaternion, via Old French quarregnon (by fours) with reference to the fact that the original carillon consisted of four bells hung in the tower of a church.] |
| carillonneur | one who plays the CARILLON. |
| cariole carriole | a small open carriage. |
| carmagnole | a popular song and round dance of the French Revolutionary period. |
| carnet | a customs or other permit; a book of coupons. |
| carombole | a cannon in billiards; (verb) to make a cannon in billiards. |
| carousel carrousel | a merry-go-round; a circular magazine for a slide projector |
| carrefour | a crossroads, a plaza. |
| carte | a bill of fare. |
| cartel | a manufacturers’ agreement or association formed to control marketing arrangements, regulate prices, etc. |
| cartonnage | papyrus or linen soaked in plaster, shaped around a body; used for mummy masks and coffins. |
| cartouch cartouche | a roll or case of paper, etc., holding a charge for a firearm; a cartridge; in Egyptian inscriptions, a circle with a horizontal bar at the bottom, elongated into an oval within which king's names are written. |
| casern caserne | a barrack or billet for soldiers. |
| casque | a helmet. |
| cassis | a blackcurrant liqueur. |
| cassolette | a small dish used for presenting hors d'oeuvres etc. |
| cassonade | unrefined cane-sugar (imported in casks). |
| cassoulet | a French stew consisting of haricot beans, onions, herbs etc. |
| castanet | a musical instrument. |
| catafalque | a temporary tomb used in funerals and processions. |
| cauchemar | a nightmare. |
| causerie | a light and informal conversation; a brief, conversational essay. |
| cavesson | a noseband for a horse. |
| ceinture | a belt for the waist. |
| celesta | a musical instrument, a keyboard with bell-like tones. |
| celeste | (noun) a soft pedal on a piano. |
| cendre | ash-blond (the e has an accent). |
| centime | one hundredth of a FRANC. |
| cerise | a colour, deep to vivid purplish-red. |
| cervelas cervelat | a type of French sausage, seasoned with garlic. |
| chablis | a white wine made near Chablis, a town in France. |
| chaconne | a Spanish baroque dance in triple time. |
| chagrin | annoyance; vexation; (verb) to disappoint deeply; to annoy: CHAGRINS, CHAGRINING or CHAGRINNING, CHAGRINED or CHAGRINNED. |
| chaine | in ballet, a series of small fast turns used to cross a stage. |
| chaise | a light open carriage for one or two people. |
| chalumeau | an early rustic reed instrument that developed into the clarinet. Pl. CHALUMEAUX. |
| chamade | a signal made for a parley by beat of a drum. |
| chambranle | decoration around a door frame or fireplace. |
| chambre | of wine, at room temperature (the e has an accent). |
| chamois shamois | a deerlike animal found in the Alps; (verb) to prepare leather like chamois. |
| champignon | an edible species of mushroom. |
| champleve | a type of enamel work in which vitreous powders are laid in channels cut in a metal base. The e has an accent. |
| chancre | a venereal sore or ulcer; specifically, the initial lesion of true syphilis. |
| chandelle | an abrupt, climbing turn of an airplane; (verb) to perform this manoeuvre. |
| chanson | a song. |
| chansonette | a little song, a ditty. |
| chantage | blackmail to prevent exposure of scandalous facts. |
| chantarelle chanterelle | a kind of fungus. |
| chanteuse | a female nightclub singer. |
| chantilly+ | as in chantilly lace, a type of ornamental lace. No -S. |
| chapeau | a hat. Pl. CHAPEAUS or CHAPEAUX. |
| chaperon chaperone | a person who ensures propriety, esp. a married or older woman accompanying a young unmarried woman on social occasions; (verb) to act as a chaperone. |
| chapitre | the capital of a column. [Fr. chapitre]. |
| charabanc | a sightseeing motor couch. |
| charade | a written or (now usu.) acted clue from which a syllable of a word or a complete word is to be guessed. |
| charcuterie | (a shop selling) cold meats made from pork. |
| charlotte | a kind of pie or pudding made by lining a dish with slices of bread, and filling it with bread soaked in milk, and baked. |
| charmeuse | a soft satiny material. |
| charpie | shredded lint used to dress wounds. |
| chartreuse | a light, yellowish green; an aromatic, usually yellow or green liqueur. [From La Grande Chartreuse, the name of the Carthusian monastery near Chartreuse in Grenoble where this liqueur was made]. |
| chasse | a movement in dancing, as across or to the right or left; (verb) to make such a movement. |
| chassepot | a kind of breechloading, center-fire rifle, or improved needle gun. |
| chasseur | a hunter; a liveried hotel attendant. |
| chassis | the structural framework of a motor car to which the movable working parts and body may be attached. Pl. CHASSIS. |
| chateau | a castle. Pl. CHATEAUS or CHATEAUX. |
| chatelain | the governor of castle or fortification. Also CASTELLAN. |
| chatelaine | a female CHATELAIN, a castle owner, manager or caretaker. |
| chaton | the setting or stone of a finger-ring. |
| chatoyant | (of) iridescent undulating lustre. |
| chauffeur | one who drives car for another. |
| chauffeuse | a female CHAUFFEUR. |
| chaussure | a foot covering of any kind. |
| chauvin | one with excessive pride in his own country. [From Nicolas Chauvin, an ardent veteran of Napoleon’s]. |
| chechia | a cylindrical skullcap, worn by Arabs and adopted by French troops in N. Africa. [Fr. chechia f. Maghribi pronunc. of Arab. sasiyya, f. Arab. Tashkent in Uzbekistan.] |
| chemise | a garment for the upper body; esp. a woman’s loose-fitting undergarment or dress hanging straight from the shoulders. |
| chemisette | an under-garment, worn by women, usually covering the neck, shoulders, and breast. |
| chenet | an ANDIRON. |
| chenille | a velvety silk, wool or cotton fabric with protruding pile. |
| cher | dear. |
| chere | dear (feminine). |
| chevalet | the bridge of a stringed instrument. |
| chevalier | a cavalier, a knight. |
| chevet | the east end of (especially French Gothic) church or chancel. |
| cheville | an unnecessary word added to round off a sentence or complete a line of verse. |
| chevre | a cheese made from goat's milk. |
| chevrette | a kind of thin kid leather; a machine for raising guns or mortars into their carriages. |
| chevron | to provide with chevrons or things arranged in a chevron pattern; make with a chevron pattern. |
| chevrotain | a small deer-like mammal. |
| chez | at the home of. |
| chicane | to quibble, to use tricks and artifices. |
| chiffon | a sheer silk fabric. |
| chiffonade | green plants cooked in butter, esp. a mixture of lettuce and sorrel. |
| chiffonier chiffonnier | a chest of drawers. |
| chignon | a knot or roll of hair worn at the back of the head. |
| chimere chimar chimer | a loose sleeveless robe worn by Anglican bishops. |
| chinoiserie | decoration, furniture etc. imitating Chinese design. |
| chose | a thing. |
| chou | a cabbage; an ornamental soft rosette; a cream bun. Pl. CHOUX. |
| choucroute | pickled cabbage. |
| chut | an expression of impatience. |
| chypre | a mixture of resins used in making perfume. [Fr. = Cyprus, where perh. orig. made]. |
| cimier | the crest of a helmet. |
| cineast cineaste | one who takes an artistic interest in motion pictures. |
| cinquain | a group of five, especially a five-line stanza. |
| cinque | five; the number five in dice or cards. |
| cire | a fabric with a waxed finish (the e is accented). |
| cirque | a deep round hollow formed by glaciation. |
| ciseleur | a chaser (of metal). |
| ciselure | the art of chasing metal. |
| clafouti+ clafoutis+ | a French baked pudding. |
| clairvoyant | having or exercising the faculty of clairvoyance; pertaining to clairvoyance. |
| claque | a group hired to applaud at a performance; a group of sycophants. |
| claqueur | one of the claque employed to applaud at a theater. |
| clavecin | the harpsichord. |
| clementine | a type of orange; a hybrid of orange and tangerine. |
| cliché | a hackneyed expression, a stereotype. |
| clientele | a body of clients, a following; the customers (of a shop); the patrons (of a theatre etc.). |
| clinique | a clinic. |
| clinquant | glittering, of gold or tinsel; (noun) imitation gold leaf; (fig.) literary or artistic tinsel; false glitter. |
| clochard | a beggar; a vagrant. [Fr. clocher, to limp, from L. clopus, lame.] |
| cloche | a cover for tender plants. |
| cloison | a partition; a dividing band. |
| cloisonne | inlaid between partitions: -- said of enamel when the lines which divide the different patches of fields are composed of a kind of metal wire secured to the ground; cf. CHAMPLEVE enamel, in which the ground is engraved or scooped out. |
| cloque | a fabric with an embossed design. |
| cloture | a means of ending a legislative debate; (verb) to close a parliamentary debate. |
| clou | the main point of interest; a dominant idea. Pl. CLOUS. |
| cocotte | a prostitute; a flirt or tease. |
| codille | a term at the card game OMBER, signifying that the game is won. |
| coffret | a small coffer; a presentation box. |
| cognac | a kind of brandy. |
| coiffeur | a hairdresser. |
| coiffeuse | a (female) hairdresser. |
| coiffure | a headdress, or manner of dressing the hair; (verb) to dress the hair.. |
| cointreau+ | a colourless liqueur with orange flavouring: COINTREAUS. |
| collage | (verb) to arrange materials in a collage. |
| collarette | a small collar. |
| colloque | to hold a COLLOQUY. |
| cologne | a perfumed liquid, composed of alcohol and certain aromatic oils, used in the toilet; aka cologne water and eau de cologne. |
| colportage | the distribution of religious books, tracts, etc., by COLPORTEURS. |
| colporteur | a peddler of religious books. |
| comble | the acme. |
| comice | a variety of pear. |
| comique | a comic actor or singer. |
| commere | a female compere. |
| commis | a deputy, a clerk; a junior waiter or chef. |
| commode | a chamber-pot enclosed in a chair or box with a cover. |
| communard | a member of a commune; a communist. |
| commune | a French territorial division, the smallest for administrative purposes; a similar division elsewhere. |
| communique | an official communication; esp. an official statement reporting on a meeting, conference; etc. |
| compere | a person in a cabaret act, radio or television show, etc., who introduces the performers, comments on the turns, etc; (verb) to act as a compere to. |
| compot compote | a preparation of fruit in syrup in such a manner as to preserve its form, either whole, halved, or quartered; as, a compote of pears. |
| compotier | a dish, usually with a stemmed base, for serving dessert. |
| comte | a French nobleman. |
| concierge | one who keeps the entrance to an edifice, public or private; a doorkeeper; a janitor, male or female. |
| concordat | an agreement between the pope and a secular government. |
| concours | a competition, a contest. |
| conferencier | a lecturer, a public speaker; a (leading) member of a conference. |
| confidant | a (male) person entrusted with knowledge of one’s private affairs (orig. esp. one’s love affairs) or thoughts. |
| confidante | a (female) person entrusted with knowledge of one’s private affairs (orig. esp. one’s love affairs) or thoughts. |
| confiserie | a confectionery. |
| confiseur | a confectioner. |
| confrere | a fellow member of a fraternity; an intimate associate. |
| confrerie | a brotherhood. |
| conge congee | a bow, a dismissal; (verb) to take one's leave. |
| connoisseur | one who appreciates fine things e.g. wines, the arts. |
| conseil | advice, council. |
| conservatoire | a school of music. |
| consomme | a clear soup or BOUILLON boiled down so as to be very rich. |
| conte | a short story (as a literary genre). |
| contrat | a contract, an agreement. |
| contrecoup | a concussion or shock produced by a blow or other injury, in a part or region opposite to that at which the blow is received, often causing rupture or disorganisation of the parts affected. |
| contredanse | a folk dance in which two lines of couples face each other. |
| contretemps | an embarrassing occurrence; a mishap. |
| controle | registered, hallmarked (the e has an accent). |
| convenance | that which is suitable, agreeable, or convenient. |
| copataine | a sugar-loaf hat. |
| coquelicot | brilliant red; poppy red. |
| coquet coquette | to flirt, to dally. |
| corbeau | a blackish-green colour. |
| corbeil | a basket filled with earth used as a missile. |
| corbeille | a basket of flowers. |
| cordelle | a rope esp. on a ship. |
| cornemuse | a French mouth blown bagpipe with chanter and small drone in one stock, and a separate large drone. |
| corniche | a coastal road, especially one running along a cliff face. |
| cornichon+ | a small gherkin. |
| corsetiere | a (female) corset maker. |
| cortege | a train of attendants; a procession. |
| corvee | an obligation to perform certain services, as the repair of roads, for the lord or sovereign. |
| corvette | a highly manoeuvrable armed escort ship. |
| coryphee | a leading dancer of a corps de ballet. |
| coteau | uplands; higher ground of a region. Pl. COTEAUX. |
| cotelette | a cutlet, a chop. |
| coterie | a social or literary circle. |
| cotillion cotillon | an elaborate ballroom dance with frequent changes of partner. |
| cotise cottise | in heraldry, an ordinary, one quarter of a bend in breadth; (verb) to border with cotises. |
| coucal | a large, Old World, ground cuckoo of the genus Centropus, of several species. [Fr., said to be f. couc(ou cuckoo + al(ouette lark]. |
| couche | not erect; inclined; -- said of anything that is usually erect, as an escutcheon. |
| couchee | an evening reception. |
| couchette | a sleeping-berth on a continental train. |
| coude | (of a reflecting telescope) in which one or more plane mirrors reflects the light down the polar axis. (The e has an accent). |
| coulee | a stream. |
| coulis | a thin puree of fish, fowl, fruit or vegetables. Pl. COULISES. |
| coulisse | a piece of timber having a groove in which something glides. |
| couloir | a deep Alpine gorge. |
| coulomb | the SI unit of electric charge. [From C. A. de Coulomb (1736–1806), French physicist]. |
| coupe | a four-wheeled closed horse-drawn carriage. |
| coupee | a salute to one's partner in dancing. |
| coupure | a passage cut through a glacis to facilitate sallies by the besieged. |
| courant courante | an old dance with a gliding step. (Also CORANTO, COURANTO). |
| courbette | curvet. |
| courgette | a small variety of vegetable marrow, aka ZUCCHINI. |
| couteau | a knife; a dagger. Pl. COUTEAUX. |
| coutil coutille | a strong cotton fabric used in mattresses etc. |
| couture | dressmaking; (the design and making of) fashionable garments, esp. French ones. |
| couturiere | a (female) dressmaker or dress designer. |
| couturiere | a (male) dressmaker or dress designer. |
| couvade | a custom among some peoples, whereby the husband of a woman giving birth simulates pregnancy and labour. |
| couvert | a cover (at table). |
| crapaud+ | a frog or toad. |
| craquelure | fine cracking that appears in old paintings. |
| cravat | a scarf or band worn as necktie. [Fr. cravate, from Cravates, 17th century Croatian mercenaries who wore a scarf in battle]. |
| creche | a nursery. |
| cremaillere | a zigzag line of fortification. |
| creme | cream. |
| crenel crenelle | a crenellation. |
| crepe | light crinkled fabric; (verb) to cover with this. |
| creperie | a restaurant specialising in pancakes. |
| cretonne | a heavy cotton or linen cloth. |
| crevette | a shrimp or prawn. |
| criant | garish; discordantly coloured. |
| crible | punctured like a sieve, dotted. (The e has an accent). |
| crinolette | a small CRINOLINE causing the dress to project behind only. |
| crinoline | a stiff fabric made of horsehair and cotton or linen thread, used for linings, hats, etc., and formerly for skirts and to expand a petticoat. |
| critique | a criticism; esp. a critical analysis, article, or essay. |
| croche | a knob at the top of a deer's horn. |
| croissant | a crescent-shaped roll. |
| crokinole+ | a board game popular in Canada in which players flick wooden discs. |
| croquante | a crisp pie or tart. |
| croquette | a ball or cylindrical cake of minced meat, potatoes etc. |
| croquis | an outline or rough sketch. Pl. CROQUIS. |
| crosse | the stick with which lacrosse is played. |
| crossette | a small projecting part of an impost-stone at the extremity of an arch. |
| croupade | in dressage, a leap in which the horse draws its hind legs up towards its belly. |
| croupier | an attendant who collects and pays bets. |
| croustade | a case of fried bread or pastry for serving game. |
| croute | a slice of fried bread served as an entree. |
| crouton | a small cube of fried bread, used in soup or salads. |
| cru | (the grade or quality of wine produced in) a French vineyard or wine-producing region. Pl. CRUS. |
| crudites | raw fruit and vegetables served as hors d'oeuvre. |
| crypton krypton | an element, an inert gas. [Gk. cryptein, to hide]. |
| cuirassier | a soldier who wears a CUIRASS. |
| cuisine | cooking. |
| culet | the flat back or base of a gemstone. |
| culotte | a divided skirt. |
| cunette | an fortifications, a trench sunk along the middle of a dry ditch or moat, serving as a drain, a CUVETTE. |
| curettage | the act of using a CURETTE. |
| curette | an instrument for scraping sides of body cavities; (verb) to scrape with a CURETTE. |
| cuvee | a vat of blended wine of uniform quality. |
| cuvette | a shallow dish for holding liquids. |
| dais | a platform. |
| dalle | a slab or tile, often decorative. |
| dancette dancettee | in heraldry, a zigzag line across a shield. |
| danseur | a professional dancer. |
| danseuse | a professional female dancer; a woman who dances at a public exhibition as in a ballet. |
| dariole | a small cylindrical mould used in cooking. |
| dartre | a herpes-like skin disease. |
| daube | a meat stew. |
| dauphin | the title of the eldest son of the king of France, and heir to the crown. |
| debacle | a great disaster; a complete failure, a fiasco. [Fr. debacle, from debacler, to unbolt or unbar]. |
| debonair debonnaire | of good appearance, elegant. |
| debouchure | the mouth of a river or strait. |
| debride | to remove the debris from a wound. |
| debridement | the surgical removal of dead, infected tissue or foreign matter from a wound. |
| debut | a beginning. |
| debutant | one making a beginning. |
| debutante | one (female) making a beginning, esp. in society. |
| decheance | forfeiture. |
| decime | a French coin, the tenth part of a franc, equal to about two cents. |
| declasse | (someone) having lost caste or social standing. |
| decolletage | the low-cut neckline of a woman’s garment. |
| decollete | low-cut at the neck. |
| decor | scenery and stage embellishments; a general decorative effect. |
| decoupage | the application of paper cutouts to wood surfaces. |
| dedans | spectators at a court tennis match. |
| defi | a challenge. |
| defilade | to arrange (fortifications) so as to protect the lines from frontal or enfilading fire and the interior from fire from above or behind. |
| degage | unconstrained, easy; uninvolved. |
| degout | distaste. |
| degras | a fat obtained from sheepskins. Pl. DEGRAS. |
| degringolade | a rapid decline or deterioration (as in strength, position, or condition). |
| delaine | a kind of fabric for women's dresses. |
| delassement | a relaxation. |
| delice | a delight; a delicacy. |
| demarche | a course of action; a manoeuvre; a diplomatic representation or protest. |
| dementi | a contradiction, a denial; now esp. an official denial of a published statement. |
| demijohn | a large bottle having a wicker case. [Fr. Dame-Jeanne]. |
| demilune | a work constructed beyond the main ditch of a fortress, and in front of the curtain between two bastions, intended to defend the curtain; a ravelin. Cf. SEMILUNE. |
| demimondaine | a DEMIREP, a woman of doubtful reputation or suspected character; an adventuress. |
| demimonde | a class of women on the fringes of respectable society supported by wealthy lovers; a group having little reputation. |
| demitasse | (the quantity contained by) a half-cup (esp. of black coffee). |
| demode | old-fashioned. |
| demoiselle | (arch.) a young girl or unmarried woman. |
| denouement | the final outcome. |
| dentelle | lace; lacework. |
| depanneur+ | a convenience store in French Canada. |
| departement | an administrative department. |
| depeche | a despatch, message. |
| deracine | uprooted from one’s environment; displaced geographically or socially. |
| derailleur | a type of gearing for a bicycle. |
| dernier | in phrase DERNIER CRI - 'last cry'; latest fashion; newest discovery. |
| derriere | backside. |
| desagrement | something disagreeable. |
| deshabille | an undress; a careless toilet. Cf. DISHABILLE. |
| desoeuvre | unoccupied, at a loose end. |
| desoriente | having lost one's bearings, confused. |
| detente | a relaxation of strained relations, esp. between countries. |
| detenu | a (male) prisoner, esp. a political prisoner in India. |
| detenue | a (female) prisoner, esp. a political prisoner in India. |
| detraque | a person who is deranged. |
| detraquee | a (female) person who is deranged. |
| developpe+ | a ballet position. |
| devoir | what is due; duty. |
| devore | of velvet or satin, having a design etched with acid. (The es have accents). |
| devot | a devotee. |
| diable | an unglazed earthenware casserole. |
| diablerie diablery | black magic; demon lore; mischievous conduct or manner. |
| diamante | a decoration on a dress consisting of glittering ornaments. The e is accented. |
| diedre | a rock angle or re-entrant corner, usu. with a crack in it. |
| difficile | difficult; hard to manage; stubborn. |
| dinanderie | a bronze-coloured metal alloy used for decorative vessels. |
| directrice | a female director. Formerly also, a governess. |
| dirigisme dirigism | state control in economic and social spheres. |
| dirigiste | relating to state control in economic and social spheres. |
| diseur | a reciter or entertainer. |
| diseuse | a female DISEUR, a reciter. |
| dishabille | an undress; a loose, negligent dress. Cf. DESHABILLE. |
| distingue | distinguished in appearance, manner, or bearing. |
| distrait distraite | distracted in mind; excessively perplexed or troubled. |
| divertissement | a diversion or entertainment. |
| dizain | a ten-line stanza or poem. |
| doctrinaire | a person who tries to apply principle without allowance for circumstance; a pedantic theorist. |
| domaine+ | an estate where wine is made. |
| dominique dominick | one of an American breed of chickens. |
| donne donnee | a datum, something given. |
| dore | gilded (the e has an accent). |
| dossier | a compendium of documents; the word derives from the idea of folders being labelled on the spines. |
| douane | a customhouse. |
| douanier | a Customs official. |
| doublure | an ornamental lining on the inside of book: leather or vellum. |
| doucepere douzeper | one of the twelve peers of France, companions of Charlemagne in war. |
| douceur | gentleness or sweetness; a subtly offered bribe. |
| doucine | a CYMA RECTA, an ogee moulding of the cornice. |
| dourine | a contagious disease of horses. |
| doux | of champagne, very sweet. |
| doyen | a man who is the eldest or senior member of a group or profession. |
| doyenne | a women who is the eldest or senior member of a group or profession. |
| dragee | a sugar-coated sweetmeat. |
| dragonnade | a persecution conducted by Louis XIV against French Protestants in the 1680s, in which dragoons were quartered on them; any persecution conducted with the aid of troops. |
| dressage | the training of a horse in deportment. |
| droguet | a ribbed woollen dress. |
| droit | a right; law in its aspect of the foundation of rights. |
| dubonnet | a red colour. |
| duchesse | a table-cover or centrepiece. |
| dumortierite | an orthorhombic borosilicate of aluminium occurring as small violet or blue needles or fibrous masses esp. in gneisses and schists. [From V.-E. Dumortier (1802–76). French geologist]. |
| dupion | a coarse silk. [Fr. doupion, from Ita. doppione, double]. |
| duvet | a quilt stuffed with eiderdown. |
| duxelles | a mince of mushrooms, chopped shallots and herbs simmered in butter. [From the Marquis d'Uxelles]. |
| eau | water. Pl. EAUS or EAUX. |
| ebauche | a rough draught or sketch. |
| ebeniste | a cabinetmaker. |
| eboulement | the falling in of the wall of a fortification; a landslip. |
| ebrillade | a bridle check; a jerk of one rein, given to a horse when he refuses to turn. |
| ecarte | a game at cards, played usually by two persons, in which the players may discard any or all of the cards dealt and receive others from the pack. |
| echappe | an ballet, a kind of leap. |
| echelle | an arrangement of ribbons in the form of a ladder, decorating the front of the stomacher of a dress, etc. [Fr. echelle, ladder]. |
| eclaircissement | clarification, enlightenment. |
| eclat | great brilliance, acclamation; conspicuous success. |
| ecorche | a manikin, or image, representing an animal, especially man, with the skin removed so that the muscles are exposed for purposes of study. |
| ecossaise | a dancing tune in the Scotch style. |
| ecraseur | an instrument intended to replace the knife in many operations, the parts operated on being severed by the crushing effect produced by the gradual tightening of a steel chain, so that haemorrhage rarely follows. |
| ecritoire | a writing-desk. |
| ecru | (having) the color or appearance of unbleached stuff, as silk, linen, or the like. |
| ecu | the European monetary unit. |
| ecuelle | a two-handled soup bowl. |
| ecurie | a stable. |
| effleurage | a stroking movement in massage. |
| egalite | equality. |
| egarement | confusion, bewilderment. |
| eglomise | made of glass with a picture painted on the back (acute accent on the Es). |
| elan | ardour inspired by passion or enthusiasm. |
| elance | to throw as a lance. |
| eloge | a commendation; an encomium. |
| embassade | the mission of an ambassador. |
| embonpoint | plumpness of person; stoutness. |
| embouchure | the position and use of the lips in producing a musical tone on a wind instrument. |
| embusque | in ambush; (noun) a slacker or shirker, a person who evades military service. |
| emeute | a popular rising or uproar. |
| emigre | one of the natives of France who were opposed to the first Revolution, and who left their country in consequence. |
| empennage | the tail assembly of an airplane. [Fr. empennage (feathers of an arrow), from empenner (to feather an arrow), from em- + penner, from penne (feather), from L. penna (feather).] |
| empiecement | an insertion in a garment. |
| empresse | eager, enthusiastic. |
| empressement | extreme politeness. |
| enceinte | pregnant. |
| encolure | a horse’s mane. |
| encore | again. |
| endive | a salad plant of the chicory genus. |
| enfant | child, as in 'enfant terrible', anyone -- young or old -- whose behavior shocks others by e.g. a disregard for convention. |
| enfilade | a number of things arranged as if threaded on a string; (verb) to discharge or be in a position to discharge firearms along the whole length of a line. |
| engrenage | the process of preparing for effective joint action. |
| enleve | carried away, kidnapped. |
| enlevement | (Scots law) the abduction of a woman or child. |
| ennui | a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction; boredom; (verb) to bore, annoy. |
| ennuye | affected with ennui; weary in spirits; emotionally exhausted. |
| ensemble | the whole; all the parts taken together. |
| entablature | that part of a design in classical architecture which surmounts the columns and rests upon the capitals. |
| entente | understanding. |
| entete entetee | obstinate. |
| entourage | a group of people in attendance on or accompanying someone important. |
| entrechat | a ballet leap in which the dancer repeatedly crosses the legs. |
| entrecote | a steak cut from between two ribs. |
| entree | a dish served between the fish course and the main meat course; in North America, the main dish of a meal. |
| entrepot | a center of trade and transshipment. |
| entrepreneur | one who undertakes commercial ventures. |
| entrepreneuse | a female ENTREPRENEUR. |
| entresol | a low story between two higher ones, usually between the ground floor and the first story; a MEZZANINE. |
| entrez | come in. |
| envoi | the concluding part of a poem or book. |
| eolienne | a fine dress fabric of silk and wool. |
| epatant | wonderful, marvellous. |
| epaule | the shoulder of a bastion. |
| epaulet epaulette | a shoulder ornament or badge worn by military and naval officers. |
| epee | a kind of sword used in fencing. |
| eperdu | desperately in love (of a male). |
| eperdue | desperately in love (of a female). |
| epergne | a branched ornamental centrepiece. |
| epicier | a grocer. |
| epopee | epic poetry, especially as a literary genre. |
| epris | captivated or smitten. |
| eprise | captivated or smitten (of a female). |
| eprouvette | an apparatus for testing or proving the strength of gunpowder. |
| epuise | exhausted (of a male). |
| epuisee | exhausted (of a female). |
| equipe | in motor-racing and other sports, a team. |
| escadrille | a squadron of aircraft; a flotilla. |
| escalade escalado | the scaling of walls of a fortress by ladders. |
| escalier | a staircase. |
| escalop escalope | a thin slice of boneless meat or (occas.) fish; esp. a special cut of veal from the leg. |
| escamotage | juggling. |
| escargot | a snail as an article of food. |
| escarmouche | a skirmish. |
| escarole | a wavy-leafed salad plant of the ENDIVE family. |
| eschalot | an onion with garlic-flavoured bulbs, a shallot. |
| eschar | a dry slough, crust, or scab, which separates from the healthy part of the body, as that produced by a burn, or the application of caustics. |
| esclandre | unpleasant notoriety; a scandal, a scene. |
| escopette | a kind of firearm; a carbine. |
| escritoire | a writing-desk. |
| escroc | a swindler. |
| espadrille | a sandal with rope bottom and canvas top. |
| espagnole | a brown sauce flavoured with tomatoes and sherry. |
| espagnolette | the fastening of a French window. |
| espalier | a lattice on which trees are trained across. |
| esperance | (Arch.) hope, used as a war-cry. |
| espiegle | roguish, frolicsome, arch. |
| espieglerie | the quality of being ESPIEGLE, roguish, frolicsome, arch. |
| esplanade | a promenade along the shore. |
| esprit | spirit, wit. |
| esquisse | the first sketch of a picture or model of a statue. |
| estacade | a dike of stakes in a river against an enemy. |
| estafette | a mounted courier. |
| estaminet | a small cafe; a bistro. |
| estoc | a short sword. |
| estoile etoile | a six-pointed star whose rays are wavy, instead of straight like those of a mullet. |
| estrade | a low platform or dais. |
| estrapade | a horse's attempt to throw its rider. |
| etage | a floor storey. |
| etagere | a piece of furniture having a number of unenclosed shelves or stages, one above another, for receiving articles of elegance or use. |
| etalage | a display, esp. of goods in a shop window. |
| etalon | a pair of half-reflecting flat plates of glass or quartz fixed parallel to one another a small distance apart, used to produce interference patterns. |
| etamin etamine | a loosely woven open-mesh cotton or worsted fabric. |
| etape | a storehouse; a halting-place; a day's march. |
| etat | the staff of an army, including all officers above the rank of colonel, also, all adjutants, inspectors, quartermasters, commissaries |