French–English dictionary

perte de marchandise

The amount of something lost in storage or transportation.

perte de temps

A wasting of time in idleness or trifles. [from 16th c.]

pertinacité

The state or characteristic of being pertinacious.

pertinence

The quality of being pertinent.

pertinent

Related to a topic of discussion or consideration.

pertuisane

(historical) A long-handled spear with a triangular, double-edged blade having lateral projections, in some forms also used in boar hunting.

perturbant

Causing disruption or unrest.

perturbateur

Someone or something that disrupts.

perturbation

An interruption to the regular flow or sequence of something.

perturbé

Deeply hurt, saddened, or worried; incapacitated by distress.

perturber

(transitive) To throw into disorder; to break the array of.

péruvien

Of, from, or pertaining to Peru or the Peruvian people.

Péruvienne

A person from Peru or of Peruvian descent.

pervers

(informal) Marked by unconventional sexual preferences or behavior, as fetishism, sadomasochism, and other sexual practices.

perversion

A sexual practice considered abnormal; sexual deviance.

perversité

The state of being wicked; evil disposition; immorality.

PES

(parapsychology) Abbreviation of extrasensory perception.

pesage

The process by which something is weighed.

pesant

Characteristic of a burden; arduous or demanding

pesanteur

(physics) The phenomenon that, on earth, objects have weight; the similar phenomenon on other celestial bodies such as the moon.

pesée

The process by which something is weighed.

peser

(intransitive) To float, as if suspended.

péso

(historical) A former unit of currency in Spain and Spain's colonies, worth 8 reales; the Spanish dollar.

Pessah

The one-day Biblical feast or festival (not a holy day) that begins at twilight at the beginning of the fourteenth day of the first month (Abib 14 / Nisan 14), during which the first-born sons of the Israelites were passed over while those of the Egyptians were killed; this feast day is then immediately followed by the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15 to 21; the first and seventh days are holy days or annual or yearly Sabbaths).

pessimiste

Sad or pessimistic.

peste

(pejorative) A child who is regarded as mischievous, unruly, spoiled, or selfish.

pesticide

Anything, especially a synthetic substance but also any substance (e.g. sulfur), or virus, bacterium, or other organism, which kills or suppresses the activities of pests.

pesto

A sauce, especially for pasta, originating from the Genoa region in Italy, made from basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil and cheese (usually pecorino).

pet

(UK, Irish, Commonwealth, derogatory, colloquial) A gay man; especially one who is effeminate.

pétale

(botany) One of the component parts of the corolla of a flower. It applies particularly, but not necessarily only, when the corolla consists of separate parts, that is when the petals are not connately fused. Petals are often brightly colored.

Pétaouchnock

(figurative) Any proverbially distant or remote place.

pétard

A small explosive device, typically containing a small amount of gunpowder in a tightly-wound roll of paper, primarily designed to produce a large bang.

pétaudière

A place or situation of chaotic uproar, and where confusion prevails.

pété

Non-functional; not functioning properly.

pété comme un Petit LU

(informal) Drunk.

pété de thunes

(idiomatic, informal, sometimes, derogatory) Very rich (wealthy).

péter

(intransitive) To let steam escape through a passage provided for the purpose.

péter les plombs

To express one's feelings through disruptive actions.

péter plus haut que son cul

To boast or brag noisily; to bluster; to bully.

pétillant

Of a beverage, especially an alcoholic beverage, containing dissolved carbon dioxide (either naturally or that has been added) that comes out of solution in the form of many tiny bubbles.

pétiller

(intransitive) To emit bubbles.

petit

Any very young animal, especially a vertebrate; many species have specific names for their babies, such as kittens for the babies of cats, puppies for the babies of dogs, and chicks for the babies of birds. See Category:Baby animals for more.

petit ami

A male partner in an unmarried romantic relationship.

petit bois

Small pieces of wood and twigs used to start a fire.

petit bouquet

A small bouquet of flowers, originally worn attached to the bodice of a woman's dress.

petit canoe

(nautical) A small open boat, propelled by oars or paddles, carried as a tender, lifeboat, or pleasure craft on a ship.

petit clou

A small nail with a flat head.

petit coin

(UK, Irish, slang) Clipping of lavatory.

petit con

(countable, US, slang) A worthless person, particularly: [from 1904]

petit copain

A male partner in an unmarried romantic relationship.

petit coup de coude

A gentle push.

petit déjeuner

The first meal of the day, usually eaten in the morning.

petit déjeuner-déjeuner

A meal eaten later in the day than breakfast and earlier than lunch, and often consisting of typical foods from both of those meals.

petit exploitant

A person who owns or runs a smallholding (small farm): a minor independent farmer.

petit galop

A gait of a horse between a trot and a gallop, consisting of three beats and a "suspension" phase, where there are no feet on the ground. Also describing this gait on other four-legged animals.

petit garrot

A duck in the goldeneye genus, Bucephala albeola. [from 1850s]

petit malin

A person who tells funny anecdotes or jokes; someone witty.

petit morceau

A small amount of something.

petit pain

A miniature round loaf of bread, often accompanying a meal.

petit poisson

(childish) .

petit pont

(football, hockey, basketball) The playing of the ball between the legs of an opponent.

petit sac

A small bag usually closed with a drawstring.

petit scarabée

(figuratively) A young student in the initial stages of training who has been chosen on account of their obvious talent.

petit-enfant

A child of someone's child.

petit-fils

A child of someone's child.

petit-lait

The liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained in the process of making cheese.

petit-parangon

(typography, printing, dated) The size of type between great primer and double pica, standardized as 20-point. [from 18th c.]

petit-romain

(printing, dated) A size of type between brevier and long primer, standardized as 9-point.

petite amie

(euphemistic) A lover; a boyfriend or girlfriend.

petite annonce

Any of a list of newspaper or website advertisements included with others under a heading describing the category of product or service offered or sought.

petite argentine

Any osmeriform fish of the genus Argentina, especially a European argentine (Argentina sphyraena).

petite belette

A least weasel (Mustela nivalis).

petite bête

(gambling, slang) A metal clip attached to the underside of a table, etc. to hold hidden cards, as a form of cheating.

petite cuillère

A small spoon used to stir the contents of a cup or glass.

petite culotte

Underpants for women and girls.

petite fille

Like (that of) a girl; feminine.

Petite Poucette

A fairy tale about a thumb-sized girl.

petite tape amicale

A gentle push.

petite vérole

A disease characterized by purulent skin eruptions that may leave pockmarks.

petite vite

(colloquial, by extension) A brief sexual encounter.

petite-fille

The daughter of someone's child.

petites annonces

A section of a newspaper, magazine or web site containing classified advertisements.

pétitionnaire

(legal) Someone who presents a petition to a court.

pétitionner

(transitive) To make a petition to (a sovereign or political authority).

pétoncle

Any of various marine bivalve molluscs of the superfamily Pectinoidea.

petrichor

The distinctive scent, caused by geosmin, which accompanies the first rain after a long, warm, dry spell.

pétrin

(countable) A difficult situation.

pétrir

(transitive) To work and press into a mass, usually with the hands; especially, to work, as by repeated pressure with the knuckles, into a well mixed mass, the materials of bread, cake, etc.

pétrissage

The process by which something is kneaded.

Pétrograd

A region of Saint Petersburg city, Saint Petersburg, Northwest Russia district, European Russia, Russia.

pétrole

Petroleum-based liquid used as fuel or lubricant.

pétulant

Childishly irritable.

peu

A small amount of something.

peu ambitieux

Having little ambition for success or achievement

peu appétissant

Not appetizing.

peu bavard

reticent, secretive or uncommunicative

peu commun

Very uncommon; scarce.

peu convaincant

not convincing, plausible or believable

peu coûteux

Involving little expense; reasonable in price; cheap.

peu de

Not much, only a little: only a small amount (of).

peu enthousiaste

Lacking full energy, effort, commitment, or resolve.

peu expérimenté

(figurative) Inexperienced.

peu importe

Regardless of what happens (out of two possible situations).

peu maniable

Difficult to carry, handle, manage or operate because of its size, weight, shape or complexity.

peu naturel

Not natural.

peu près

(of adjectives from numbers, especially of times and ages) About, approximately.

peu probable

Not likely; improbable; not to be reasonably expected.

peu scrupuleux

Without scruples; immoral.

peu surprenant

Not surprising; expected.

Peugeot

A car manufactured by the French automobile brand Peugeot.

peuple

(countable, archaic) A people; a tribe or nation; the inhabitants of a region, especially the native inhabitants.

peupler

(transitive) To stock with people or inhabitants; to fill as with people; to populate.

peuplier

Any of various deciduous trees of the genus Populus.

peur

A minor fright.

peur de [[l']]eau

(psychology, colloquial) A morbid fear of water; aquaphobia.

peureux

(Scotland) Frightened, timid.

peut-être

As can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty.

peyotl

A small, spineless cactus (Lophophora williamsii) found from southwest United States to central Mexico that produces buttonlike tubercles that can be chewed for their psychedelic effect, primarily from the drug mescaline.

pff

An expression of annoyance or disappointment.

pfou

Used to express relief of tension, fatigue, or surprise.

phacochère

(zoology) A wild pig of the genus Phacochoerus, native to Africa.

phalène

(entomology) Any of the various moths of the family Geometridae.

phallus

(psychoanalysis) The signifier of the desire of the Other, and the signifier of jouissance.

pharaon

(card games) A game of chance played by betting on the order in which certain cards will appear when taken singly from the top of the pack.

phare

(nautical) A signal, buoy, post, or other conspicuous mark erected on an eminence near the shore, or moored in shoal water, as a guide to mariners, particularly to warn vessels of danger.

pharisien

(historical) A member of an ancient Jewish political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews that flourished during the Second Temple Era (536 B.C.E.–70 C.E.). The movement was ultimately the basis for most contemporary forms of Judaism.

pharisienne

Someone who practices hypocrisy, who pretends to hold beliefs, or whose actions are not consistent with their claimed beliefs. [from early 13th c.]

pharmaceutique

(medicine, pharmacy, pharmacology) Of or relating to pharmacy or pharmacists.

pharmacie

(uncountable) The science of medicinal substances, inclusive of pharmaceutics, pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmacology, phytochemistry, and forensics.

pharmacien

(pharmacy, academic) One who studies pharmacy.

pharmacienne

(pharmacy, academic) One who studies pharmacy.

pharynx

(anatomy) The part of the alimentary canal and respiratory tract that extends from the back of the mouth and nasal cavity to the larynx and esophagus.

phase

A phase.

Phébé

(Greek god) A Titan, goddess of the moon, sister-wife of Coeus, and daughter of Uranus and Gaia.

phellème

(botany, uncountable) The dead protective tissue between the bark and cambium in woody plants, with suberin deposits making it impervious to gasses and water.

phénicien

Of, from, or related to the country or civilisation of Phoenicia.

Phénicienne

An inhabitant of Phoenix, Arizona.

phénicoptère

(countable) A wading bird of the family Phoenicopteridae of the order Phoenicopteriformes.

Phénix

A white variety of grape of German origin used for winemaking.

phénoménal

(figuratively) Enormous (in size or impact).

phénomène

(slang, chiefly, derogatory) A person who is extremely abnormal in appearance, social behavior, sexual orientation, gender identity, or business practices; an oddball, a unique person, originally in a displeasing or alienating way.

phénotype

(genetics, evolutionary theory) The appearance of an organism based on a multifactorial combination of genetic traits and environmental factors, especially used in pedigrees.

phéromone

(biology) A chemical secreted by an animal, especially an insect, that affects the development or behavior of other members of the same species, functioning often as a means of attracting a member of the opposite sex.

phi

Φ, the 21st letter of the Euclidean and modern Greek alphabet, usually romanized as "ph".

philanthropie

(chiefly, _, uncountable) Benevolent altruism with the intention of increasing the well-being of humankind.

philanthropique

Of or pertaining to philanthropy; characterized by philanthropy; loving or helping mankind

philie

(pathology) Used to form nouns meaning abnormal liking or tendency (for something), e.g. paraphilia.

Philippa

A en given name.

Philippin

A citizen or inhabitant of the Philippines, or descendant of such.

Philippine

A citizen or inhabitant of the Philippines, or descendant of such.