French–English dictionary

Mossad

The national intelligence agency of Israel.

mot

A word or phrase (e.g., noun phrase, verb phrase, open compound), especially one from a specialised area of knowledge; a name for a concept.

mot à dire

(countable, uncountable(?)) A chance to speak; the right or power to influence or make a decision.

mot à mot

With phrasings that might normally be used or understood as figurative: truly; not figuratively; not as an idiom or metaphor.

mot apparenté

(linguistics) A word either descended from the same base word of the same ancestor language as the given word, or judged to be a regular reflex of the same reconstructed root of proto-language as the given word.

mot d'esprit

A short joke, especially one of a single sentence.

mot d'ordre

(military, security) A word relayed to a person to gain admittance to a place or to gain access to information.

mot de passe

(military, security) A word relayed to a person to gain admittance to a place or to gain access to information.

mot pour mot

Verbatim; using exactly the given words.

mot souche

(philology) A word from which another word or words are derived.

mot-clé

(cryptography) Any word#Noun used as the key to a code.

mot-clic

(Internet) A metadata tag, signaled by a preceding hash sign (#), used to label content. [from 2007]

mot-croisé

(games, puzzles) A word puzzle in which interlocking words are entered usually horizontally and vertically into a grid based on clues given for each word.

mot-dièse

(Internet) A metadata tag, signaled by a preceding hash sign (#), used to label content. [from 2007]

motard

A person whose lifestyle is centered on motorcycles, sometimes a member of a motorcycle club.

motarde

A person whose lifestyle is centered on motorcycles, sometimes a member of a motorcycle club.

motel

(also, _, attributive) A type of hotel or lodging establishment, often located near a major highway, which typically features a series of rooms whose entrances are immediately adjacent to a parking lot to facilitate convenient access to parked automobiles.

moteur

That drives (a mechanism or process).

motif

(legal) Basis or justification for something.

motif cachemire

A motif of a swirling droplet.

motif de bureau

(computing, countable, uncountable) An image or tiled pattern used as the background of a computer desktop.

motif écossais

The typical chequered pattern of a plaid; tartan. [from 19thc.]

motile

(physiology) In organs: having the power to move their contents, or to change their shape or tension by writhing or contracting as required by their particular physiological functions.

motilité

(uncountable) The state of being motile (moving)

motion

(countable) A parliamentary action to propose something. A similar procedure in any official or business meeting.

motivation

Something that motivates, rouses, or encourages.

motivationnel

Tending or intended to motivate.

motivé

Having a justification.

motiver

(transitive) To urge a person; to press on; to incite to action or motion via intrinsic motivation.

moto

Any vehicle sharing some characteristics with a bicycle or motorbike, such as pedal power, a handlebar, or a saddle.

motocross

(sports, motorcycling) A form of off-road motorbike racing.

motoculteur

Any of several devices used to loosen or stir the soil, either to remove weeds or to provide aeration and drainage.

motocycle

An open-seated motor vehicle with handlebars instead of a steering wheel, and having two (or sometimes three) wheels.

motocyclette

An open-seated motor vehicle with handlebars instead of a steering wheel, and having two (or sometimes three) wheels.

motocycliste

A person whose lifestyle is centered on motorcycles, sometimes a member of a motorcycle club.

motoneige

(vehicle) A vehicle with skis at the front and a caterpillar track at the rear, used for travelling over snow, sometimes as sport.

mots croisés

(games, puzzles) A word puzzle in which interlocking words are entered usually horizontally and vertically into a grid based on clues given for each word.

motte

(slang, dated) An attractive young woman.

mou

Lacking full energy, effort, commitment, or resolve.

mou du bulbe

(North America, informal, mildly, vulgar, offensive, or, derogatory) An annoying, contemptible, or worthless person.

mouais

(informal) Yes.

mouchard

(entomology) An insect of the order Hemiptera (the “true bugs”).

moucharder

(transitive, or, intransitive, slang) To act as a grass or informer, to betray; to report on (criminals etc) to the authorities.

mouche

A shot which hits the centre of a target.

mouche à feu

(Northern US, Western US, Florida) Any beetle of the family Lampyridae, which exhibit bioluminescence during twilight.

moucher

(intransitive) To expel mucus or other matter from one's nasal passages, via one's nostril, by force of lung power.

moucheron

Any small insect of the order Diptera, specifically within the suborder Nematocera.

moucheter

(transitive) To mark (something) with small spots.

mouchoir

A piece of cloth, usually square and often fine and elegant, carried for wiping the face, eyes, nose or hands.

mouchoir en papier

A sheet of absorbent paper, especially one that is made to be used as tissue paper, toilet paper or a handkerchief.

moudjahid

One who participates in a jihad, an Islamic holy war or conflict; a mujahid.

moudre

(transitive) To reduce to smaller pieces by crushing with lateral motion.

moue

A pout, especially as expressing mock-annoyance or flirtatiousness. [from 19th c.]

mouette

A seabird of the genus Larus or of the subfamily Larinae.

mouffette

Any of various small mammals, of most genera of the family Mephitidae, native to North and Central America, having a glossy black with a white coat and two musk glands at the base of the tail for emitting a noxious smell as a defensive measure.

moufle

A system in which a rope, cable, or chain (the tackle) is passed over pulleys enclosed in two (or rarely more) blocks, one fixed and one attached to a load, which is used to gain mechanical advantage to lift or pull heavy loads.

moui

(informal) Yes.

mouillé

In a state between dry and wet; moderately wet; moist.

mouiller

(transitive) To make damp or moist; to make moderately wet.

mouillette

(Britain, AU, Ireland, New Zealand) A piece of buttered bread (or toast), cut into a long thin strip for dipping into a soft-boiled egg.

moukhtar

(politics) A minor official—usually overseeing a village or town—in many Arab countries and (historical) in the Ottoman Empire and its successor states, including Turkey, Northern Cyprus, and formerly Albania.

moulage

An object made in a mould.

moulant

(of clothing) Clinging tightly to one's body.

moule

(vulgar, slang) Vulva

moule à merde

(North America, informal, mildly, vulgar, offensive, or, derogatory) An annoying, contemptible, or worthless person.

moule d’eau douce

A freshwater mussel, usually edible, of the order Unionida in subclass Palaeoheterodonta.

Moulin

(countable) An English and Scottish surname originating as an occupation for a miller.

moulin à paroles

(informal) One who chats or talks to excess.

moulin à vent

An artificial flower with a stem, usually plastic, for children: the flower spins round in the wind, like a small paper windmill.

moulu

Crushed, or reduced to small particles.

moulure

(carpentry) A narrow strip of wood, especially sapwood, cut from the edge of a board or plank.

Mourad

A en given name, of Turkish origin, borne by various Ottoman dignitaries

mourant

Pertaining to death, or the moments before death.

mourir

(formal, transitive) To cause to die.

mourir de faim

(intransitive) To die because of lack of food or of not eating.

mouron

Any of various plants of the genus Anagallis, having small red, white or purple flowers, especially the scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis). [from 15th c.]

mousquet

A kind of firearm formerly carried by the infantry of an army, originally fired by means of a match, or matchlock, for which several mechanical appliances (including the flintlock, and finally the percussion lock) were successively substituted; ultimately superseded by the rifle.

mousqueton

A metal link with a gate that can open and close, generally used for clipping ropes to anchors or other objects.

Moussa

A en given name, equivalent to English Moses.

mousse

Foam rising upon beer or other malt liquors when fermenting, used as leaven in brewing and making bread; yeast.

mousse de savon

(countable, uncountable) The foam made by rapidly stirring soap and water.

mousseline

(textile) Any of several varieties of thin cotton cloth.

mousser

(intransitive) To form or emit foam.

mousseux

(countable, uncountable, informal) Any sparkling white wine.

moustache

(transport, engineering, by extension) Any small winglike structure on a vehicle, usually used for stabilization.

Moustapha

A en given name used by Muslims.

moustique

A small flying insect of the family Culicidae, the females of which bite humans and animals and suck blood, leaving an itching bump on the skin, and sometimes carrying diseases like malaria, dengue and yellow fever.

moustre

A mischievous person, especially a playful, impish youngster.

moût

Fruit juice that will ferment or has fermented, usually from grapes.

moutarde

Of a dark yellow colour.

moutier

A monastic church.

mouton

(US, informal) A small clump of dust, fluff, hair, particles of skin, etc., that tends to accumulate indoors in areas not regularly dusted, such as under heavy furniture.

mouton de Panurge

(figuratively) Any member of a group given to conformity or groupthink, especially a group poised to follow a leader off a cliff.

mouton noir

(idiomatic) A person who is not wholesome, honest, or trustworthy.

mouture

The ground-up edible part of various grains, used as a basis of food or feed; either flour or a coarser blend than flour (usage varies).

mouvance

A group of followers, attendants or admirers; an entourage.

mouvant

Relating to motion and/or to its cause

mouvement

(board games) The act of moving a token on a gameboard from one position to another according to the rules of the game.

mouvement clandestin

(with, _, definite article) A movement or organisation of people who resist political convention.

mouvement d'avant-garde

(with, _, definite article) A movement or organisation of people who resist artistic convention.

mouvementé

Of or pertaining to high levels of activity; having many memorable events.

mouvoir

(intransitive, formal, uncommon) To move as a group from one place to another.

moyen

Indicates a means of achieving something: Involving/using the means of.

moyen de dissuasion

Something that deters.

moyen de paiement

A means of payment such as a check or cheque, cash or credit card.

moyen de transport

Any of the different kinds of transport facilities used to carry people or cargo.

moyen mnémotechnique

Something (especially a series of ideas, letters, words, etc.) used to help in remembering a thing; a memory aid.

moyenâgeux

A medieval example (of something aforementioned or understood from context).

moyenne

(mathematics) The arithmetic mean.

moyennement

In an average manner.

moyens

(uncountable) Financial resources; wealth. [circa 1600]

moyette

A pile or bundle, especially of straw.

moyetter

(intransitive, agriculture) To make stooks.

moyeu

The central part, usually cylindrical, of a wheel; the nave.

Mozambique

A country in East Africa and Southern Africa. Official name: Republic of Mozambique (since 1990). Capital: Maputo.

mozzarella

Soft Italian or Italian-style cheese made from cow's or buffalo's milk and commonly used as a pizza topping and in salads etc.

mozzarelle

Soft Italian or Italian-style cheese made from cow's or buffalo's milk and commonly used as a pizza topping and in salads etc.

MP4

(file format) Abbreviation of MPEG-4 Part 14, a file format for playing music and videos.

mperméable à

Suffix added to a noun to form an adjective denoting imperviousness to that noun.

MTV

(TV) A television channel that originally showed mostly music videos but now shows a wide variety of content.

mu

The 12th letter of the Modern Greek alphabet.

mucilage

A thick gluey substance (gum) produced by many plants and some microorganisms.

mucosité

(uncountable, medicine, rare) The state of being mucous or containing mucus.

mucus

(US, Canada, Philippines, slang) A piece of solid or semisolid mucus in or removed from a nostril.

mue

The skin or feathers cast off during the process of moulting.

muer

(of an animal) To throw off (the skin) as a process of growth; to shed the hair or fur of the coat. [from 15th c.]

muet

(dated) A silent person; a person who does not talk.

mufle

An uncultured person; a vulgarian.

muflée

(slang) A bout of heavy drinking.

mufti

(countable, Islam) A Muslim scholar and interpreter of sharia law, who can deliver a fatwa.

mug

A large cup for beverages, usually having a handle and used without a saucer.A mug

muge

A fish of the family Mullidae (order Syngnathiformes), especially the genus Mullus (red mullets or goatfish).

mugir

To make a loud, deep, hollow noise like the roar of an angry bull.

mujâhid

One who participates in a jihad, an Islamic holy war or conflict; a mujahid.

mulâtre

(historical, now, sometimes, pejorative) A person of mixed black and white descent, especially a person with one black and one white parent or two mulatto parents.

mulâtresse

(historical, now, sometimes, pejorative) A person of mixed black and white descent, especially a person with one black and one white parent or two mulatto parents.

mulcter

To impose such a fine or penalty.

mule

The generally sterile male or female hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse.

mulet

The generally sterile male or female hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse.

mullet

A hairstyle where the hair is kept short on the top and sides and long at the back.

mulsion

The act by which any animal is milked.

multi-

Many; pertaining to many things.

multicolore

(American spelling) Having multiple colors.

multifacette

Having multiple facets or (geometric) faces.

multilingue

(of a person) Able to communicate in a number of languages.

multimillionnaire

Having several millions; costing or worth many millions of dollars, pounds, euros or some other currency.

multinationale

A multinational company.

multiple

Having more than one element, part, component, or function, having more than one instance, occurring more than once, usually contrary to expectations (can be followed by a singular).

multiplexer

(computing) To combine several signals into one.

multiplicande

(arithmetic) A number that is to be multiplied by another (the multiplier).