French–English dictionary

popotin

(euphemism) The buttocks or anus. [1794]

populace

(collective) The common people; the masses. (Used with or without the definite article.)

populaire

(architecture) Of or related to local building materials and styles.

popularité

The quality or state of being popular; especially, the state of being widely liked or in favor with the people at large.

populeux

Having a large population.

populiste

(of a political policy) Put forward just because it would be popular.

porc

A lecherous person: someone given to excessive sexual activity or debauchery.

porc-épic

Any of several rodents of either of the taxonomic families Hystricidae (Old World porcupines) or Erethizontidae (New World porcupines), both from the infraorder Hystricognathi, noted for their sharp spines or quills, which are raised when the animal is attacked or surprised.

porcelaine

(uncountable) Chinaware: porcelain tableware.

porcelet

A young pig.

porche

(architectural element) A covered entrance to a building, whether taken from the interior, and forming a sort of vestibule within the main wall, or projecting without and with a separate roof. A porch often has chair(s), table(s) and swings.

porcherie

(by extension) A filthy place.

poreux

Full of tiny pores that allow fluids or gasses to pass through.

porno

(uncountable) Pornography.

pornographe

One who is involved in the creation or dissemination of pornography. [from mid-19th c.]

pornographie

The explicit literary or visual depiction of sexual subject matter; any display of material of an erotic nature. [from mid-19th c.]

pornographique

Containing an explicit depiction of sexual activity.

porreau

A vegetable of variety Allium ampeloprasum, having edible leaves and an onion-like bulb but with a milder flavour than the onion.

porrée

A vegetable of variety Allium ampeloprasum, having edible leaves and an onion-like bulb but with a milder flavour than the onion.

porridge

A dish made of grain or legumes, milk or water, heated and stirred until thick and typically eaten for breakfast.

port

(now, _, rare) A manner of walking and moving in general; how one carries oneself, bearing, gait.

port de plaisance

A harbour for small boats.

portabilité

(software) The ability of a program (or software system) to execute properly on multiple hardware platforms.

portable

(US, NZ, AU, Philippines, informal) A cellular phone.

portail

A grandiose and often lavish entrance.

portatif

Able to be carried or easily moved.

porté

carried, supported.

porte des étoiles

(neologism, scifi) A hypothetical device consisting of a traversable portal (typically a wormhole) that can send one to another location light years away nearly instantaneously.

porté disparu

(figuratively) Someone or something missing.

porte logique

(computing) A logical pathway made up of switches which turn on or off. Examples are and, or, nand, etc.

porte-

A thing that holds.

porte-bonheur

(of people) Favoured by luck; fortunate; having good success or good fortune.

porte-clé

An ornamental piece holding such a chain or ring.

porte-clef

An ornamental piece holding such a chain or ring.

porte-documents

A case used for carrying documents, especially for business.

porte-malheur

(nautical, slang) A person who brings a ship bad luck.

porte-manteau

A protrusion used to hang things on.

porte-nom

A small nameplate, identifying the wearer, and often giving additional information.

porte-parole

A person who speaks in support of something, or someone; proponent [from 18th c.]

porte-paroles

(by extension) A spokesman; one who speaks on behalf of someone else.

porte-voix

A portable, usually hand-held, funnel-shaped device that is used to amplify a person’s natural voice toward a targeted direction.

portée

(archaic) The boundary around a building, town, region, etc.

portée de voix

A distance from which sound is still audible.

portée efficace

A collision of a projectile with the target.

portefeuille

A case used for carrying documents, especially for business.

portemanteau

A device used to hang up coats, shirts, etc, consisting of a hook with sloping "arms" in the approximate shape of human shoulders.

portemonnaie

(US) A handbag (small bag usually used by women for carrying various small personal items)

Porter

A surname originating as an occupation.

porter à ébullition

(transitive, of liquids) To heat to the point where it begins to turn into a gas.

porter la guigne

(transitive) To cast a spell on.

porter la poisse

(transitive) To bring bad luck to.

porter malheur

(transitive) To cast a spell on.

porter plainte

(intransitive) To make a formal accusation or bring a formal charge.

porter un toast

(ambitransitive) To engage in a salutation, often with raising of the drinking vessel, while drinking an alcoholic beverage in honor of someone or something.

porteur

Of a beam, column, or other device, carrying weight or load.

porteuse

A signal such as radio, sound, or light that is modulated to transmit information.

portevoix

A portable, usually hand-held, funnel-shaped device that is used to amplify a person’s natural voice toward a targeted direction.

portfolio

(business) A collection of assets; (figurative) any collection of things considered as investments or assets, (rarely) also liabilities.

Portier

A surname originating as an occupation.

portier électronique

An electronic communication system, especially one between rooms in a building.

portière

(automotive, rail) A door designed for use on a car (whether a railway carriage or an automobile).

portion

An allocated amount.

portique

A framework of steel bars resting on side supports to bridge over or around something.

Porto

A city and municipality, the district capital of Porto district, Portugal.

portos

(chiefly, in the plural) A person native to, or living in, Portugal.

portraire

To paint or draw the likeness of.

Portsmouth

A city, unitary authority, and borough of Hampshire, in southern England.

portugais

Of or pertaining to the people of Portugal or their culture.

portugaise

Of or pertaining to the people of Portugal or their culture.

Portugal

A country in Southern Europe, on the Iberian Peninsula. Official name: Portuguese Republic. Capital and largest city: Lisbon.

posé

Cool‐headed, emotionally stable, in focus.

Poséidon

(Greek god) The god of the sea and other waters, earthquakes and horses; corresponds to the Roman god Neptune.

poser

(transitive, legal) To fix the disposition of (property) by designating someone to take use of (it).

poseur

One who attempts to draw attention to themselves by their behavior.

poseur de bombes

A person who sets bombs, especially as an act of terrorism.

poseuse

One who attempts to draw attention to themselves by their behavior.

positif

Not negative.

position

A particular point or place in physical space.

positive

Positive, or involving advantage.

positivement

(manner) In a positive manner.

positivité

(uncountable) The condition of being positive (in all senses); positivism. Optimism.

posologie

(countable, uncountable, pharmacy, pharmacology) The study of the dosages of drugs, especially the determination of appropriate dosages. [from 19th c.]

possédant

Owning property, especially land or real estate that yields an income.

possédé

controlled by evil spirits.

posséder

(transitive) To have rightful possession of (property, goods or capital); to have legal title to; to acquire a property or asset.

possession

(countable, mostly, in the plural) Something physical that is owned.

possessions

A territory under the rule of another country.

possibilité

One of a set of choices that can be made. [from 19th c.]

possible

(comparable) Capable of being done or achieved; feasible.

possiblement

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

possum

Any of the marsupials in several families of the order Diprotodontia of Australia and neighboring islands.

post-natal

After being born, of or pertaining to the period immediately after birth (of a baby).

post-opératoire

Of, relating to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation.

post-scriptum

(countable) An addendum to a letter, added after the author's signature.

postal

Relating to the collection, sorting and delivery of mail.

postcure

(medicine) The care given to a patient during recovery from an operation or after hospitalization.

poste

An economic role for which a person is paid.

poste à souder

An item of equipment for welding with: an electric welder.

poste avancé

A military post stationed at a distance from the main body of troops.

poste d'amarrage

(by extension) A place for a vessel to lie at anchor or to moor.

poste de guet

A vantage point with a view of the surrounding area.

poste de télévision

(countable) An electronic home entertainment device equipped with a screen and a speaker for receiving television signals and displaying them in audio-visual form.

poste de travail

An area, at a workplace, for a single worker.

poste-frontière

A point or place where a check is performed, especially a point along a road or on a frontier where travellers are stopped for inspection.

poster

(ditransitive) To send (a letter, parcel, etc.) through the mail.

postérieur

(comparable, phonetics) Pronounced with the highest part of the body of the tongue toward the back of the mouth, near the soft palate (most often describing a vowel).

postérieurement à

(sometimes, proscribed) After, subsequent to.

postérité

All the future generations, especially the descendants of a specific person.

postface

an epilogue.

posthumement

After death.

postillon

A rider mounted on the near (left) leading horse who guides the team pulling a carriage.

postillonner

To spray droplets of saliva from the mouth while eating or speaking.

postnatal

After being born, of or pertaining to the period immediately after birth (of a baby).

postopératoire

Of, relating to, or occurring in the period after a surgical operation.

postposer

To delay or put off an event, appointment, etc.

postulat

A condition that is assumed to be true without further evaluation.

postuler

(intransitive) To submit oneself as a candidate (with the adposition "to" or "at" designating the recipient of the submission, and the adposition "for" designating the position).

posture

The position of the body or way of carrying oneself.

pot

A small, approximately cylindrical container, normally made of clay or glass, for holding fruit, preserves, etc., or for ornamental purposes.

pot d'échappement

For internal combustion engines, any of several pipes, connected in series, that carry waste gases away from the engine and vent it to the air.

pot de colle

(figuratively) A person who derives advantage from others in a parasitic fashion.

pot de fleur

A box or pot for plants to be planted in, usually large and standing on the floor.

pot de miel

A pot of honey.

Pot-au-Noir

(nautical, oceanography, by extension) Usually preceded by the: a part of the ocean near the equator where calms, squalls, and light, baffling winds are common.

pot-de-vin

The act of offering or paying such a payment: an act of bribery.

pot-pourri

(also, attributive) A miscellaneous item or a miscellany, especially exemplifying an indiscriminate profusion.

potable

(of water) Safe to drink.

potasse

The water-soluble part of wood ash, used for making soap and glass and as a fertilizer (chemically speaking, an impure form of potassium carbonate (K2CO3) mixed with other potassium salts).

potasser

(intransitive, slang, UK, Irish, Commonwealth) To study with effort or determination.

potassium

A soft, waxy, silvery reactive metal that is never found unbound in nature; an element (symbol K) with an atomic number of 19 and atomic weight of 39.0983. The symbol is derived from the Latin kalium.

pote

(informal, North America) Buddy, friend.

poteau

(sports) One of the two vertical side poles of a goal.

poteau indicateur

A post bearing a sign that gives information on directions.

potelé

Having a full and rounded shape; chubby, somewhat overweight.

potence

A wooden framework on which persons are executed by hanging. [from 1300s]

potence de bringuebale

(nautical) pump-cheek, pump-cheeks, a piece of wood cut out fork-shaped in which the brake is fastened by means of a bolt and can thus move around and move the upper box of the pump up and down

potentat

A powerful leader; a monarch; a ruler.

potentiel

Existing in possibility, not in actuality.

potentiellement

In a manner showing much potential; with the possibility of happening in a given way.

poterie

(ceramics, often, attributive) An opaque, semi-porous ceramic made from clay and other compounds.

potiche

People or things judged to be superfluous to an organization or project.

potier

One who makes pots and other ceramic wares.

potière

One who makes pots and other ceramic wares.

potiron

The round yellow or orange fruit of this plant.

potron

(euphemism) The buttocks or anus. [1794]

potron-minet

The time of day when the sun appears above the eastern horizon.

pou

A small parasitic wingless insect of the order Psocodea.

pouah

An expression of disgust in response to an unpleasant odor.

poubelle

A container for collecting ashes, especially from wood and coal fires, for eventual disposal elsewhere.

pouce

(UK, dated, school slang) A cry for peace or truce in children's games.