French–English dictionary

taekwondo

A martial arts form from Korea, known for its elaborate kicking techniques. The sparring aspect is a recognised Olympic sport.

taffe

(countable, informal) A puff on a cigarette or joint.

taffetas

A crisp, smooth woven fabric made from silk or synthetic fibers.

taguer

(transitive) To mark (something) with one's graffiti tag.

tagueur

A person who paints graffiti in public places, especially one who specializes in high-quality work rather than vandalism.

Tahiti

the largest island in French Polynesia.

taï

A descendant of speakers of a common proto-Tai language, including subpopulations which no longer speak a Tai language.

taïau

(chiefly, Southern US, and, Western US) An expression of joy or excitement, commonly associated with cowboys.

taie

(uncountable) Ticking.

taie d'oreiller

A washable, easily removable cloth cover for pillows.

taïga

A subarctic zone of evergreen coniferous forests situated south of the tundras and north of the steppes in the Northern Hemisphere.

taïkonaute

A person who travels in space for the Chinese space program; a Chinese astronaut. [from 1998.]

taillade

A swift, broad cutting stroke, especially one made with an edged weapon or whip.

taillader

To cut with a swift broad stroke of an edged weapon.

taillé

(of a gem) Carved into a shape; not raw.

taillé à sa mesure

Made or done in a way adjusted to the needs of a specific person or group (e.g., customer, health care patient, do-it-yourselfer), and thus specialized and, in some cases, unique.

tailler

(intransitive, mineralogy) Of a crystal, to split along a natural plane of division.

tailleur

A person who fulls cloth.

tailleur de pierre

Somebody who cuts, carves or dresses stone.

tailleuse

A person who makes, repairs, or alters clothes professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.

tailleuse de pierre

Somebody who cuts, carves or dresses stone.

taillis

A grove of small growth; a thicket of brushwood; a wood cut at certain times for fuel or other purposes, typically managed to promote growth and ensure a reliable supply of timber. See copse.

tailloir

(architecture) The uppermost portion of the capital of a column immediately under the architrave, in some cases a flat oblong or square slab, in others more decorated. [from mid 16th c.]

Taipei

The capital city of and a special municipality of Taiwan, located in the northern part of the island of Taiwan. [from late 19th c.]

taire

To refrain from speaking; to say nothing. (This entry is a translation hub.)

Taïwan

A partly-recognized country in East Asia consisting of a main island and 167 smaller islands. Official name: Republic of China. Capital: Taipei. [from 20th c.]

taïwanais

Of or pertaining to Taiwan or its people, culture, language/s, etc.

Taïwanaise

(in the plural, chiefly, collective) People from Taiwan.

taleb

A member of the Taliban movement or its militia; a Talib.

talent

A natural or innate talent or aptitude.

talentueux

Nimble with hands or body; dexterous; skillful; adept.

taler

(intransitive) Of fruit or vegetables, to gain bruises through being handled roughly.

Taliban

A Taliban militia.

talibane

A member of the Taliban movement or its militia; a Talib.

talibans

A Deobandi Islamist and largely Pashtun religious political movement founded in Afghanistan in 1994 by mullah Mohammad Omar, which has governed the country from 1996 to 2001 and since 2021.

talisman

A religious article, protective charm, or ornament, usually bearing cultural or magical symbols, worn for protection against ill will, negative influences, or evil spirits.

Tallin

The capital city of Estonia.

Tallinn

The capital city of Estonia.

Talmud

(Judaism) A collection of Jewish writings related to the practical application of Judaic law and tradition (may refer to either the Babylonian Talmud or the shorter Jerusalem Talmud).

taloche

A sort of trowel used for finishing concrete surfaces or smoothing plaster.

talon

A piece of certain paper items, designed to be torn off and kept for record or identification purposes.

talon aiguille

A woman's shoe with a tall, slender heel (called a stiletto heel).

talonneur

(rugby) A player who hooks the ball out of the scrum with his foot.

talonneuse

(rugby) A player who hooks the ball out of the scrum with his foot.

talquer

(transitive) To apply talc to.

talure

A dark mark on fruit or vegetables caused by a blow to the surface.

talus

The bone of the ankle, forming the lower part of the ankle joint and joining with the tibia and fibula.

Tamar

(biblical character) A daughter-in-law of Judah.

Tamara

A en given name, regularly used in English since the mid-twentieth century.

tamarin

One of a family of squirrel-sized South American monkeys of the genus Saguinus.

tamarinier

(botany) A tropical tree, Tamarindus indica.

tambour

(percussion instrument) A percussive musical instrument spanned with a thin covering on at least one end for striking, forming an acoustic chamber; a membranophone.

tambour de basque

A percussion instrument consisting of a small, usually wooden, hoop closed on one side with a drum frame and featuring jingling metal disks on the tread; it is most often held in the hand and shaken rhythmically; by extension, any frame drum.

tambourin

A percussion instrument consisting of a small, usually wooden, hoop closed on one side with a drum frame and featuring jingling metal disks on the tread; it is most often held in the hand and shaken rhythmically; by extension, any frame drum.

tambouriner

(intransitive) To throb with a muffled rhythmic sound.

Tamerlan

a Turco-Mongol conqueror and the founder of the Timurid Empire in Persia and Central Asia

tamia

Any of the subtribe Tamiina of small, striped rodents; they are found in North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk which is found primarily in Asia.

tamis

A device with a mesh, grate, or otherwise perforated bottom to separate, in a granular material, larger particles from smaller ones, or to separate solid objects from a liquid.

Tamise

(with the) A river in the U.S. State of Connecticut flowing 24 km (15 mi.) past New London to Long Island Sound.

tamiser

To strain, sift or sort using a sieve.

tamoul

Of or pertaining to the Tamil people, culture, or language.

Tamoule

A person who originates from Tamil Nadu, India or Sri Lanka or has tamil origins.

tampon

(telecommunications) A routine or storage medium used to compensate for a difference in rate of flow of data, or time of occurrence of events, when transferring data from one device to another.

tamponner

(chemistry) To maintain the acidity of a solution near a chosen value by adding an acid or a base.

tamponneur

One who stamps.

tamponneuse

One who stamps.

tan

The bark of an oak or other tree from which tannic acid is obtained.

tanaisie

A herbaceous plant with yellow flowers, of the genus Tanacetum, especially Tanacetum vulgare.

tancarville

A frame on which laundry is hung to dry.

tancer

(transitive, obsolete) To scold; to rail at.

tandis

(idiomatic) For the entire duration that; while; since.

tandis que

Though, even though, in spite of or despite the fact that: introducing a clause that expresses a concession.

tandoor

A cylindrical clay oven used in the cuisine of the Caucasus, Middle East, and Indian subcontinent to make flat bread or to cook meat.

tangage

The rotation angle about the transverse axis.

tangente

(geometry) Touching a curve at a single point but not crossing it at that point.

Tanger

A port city, the capital of the region of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Morocco, on the Strait of Gibraltar.

tangerine

A deep yellowish-orange colour, like that of a tangerine fruit.

tangerinier

A tree that produces tangerines.

tangérois

From, or pertaining to Tangier.

tangéroise

From, or pertaining to Tangier.

tangible

Touchable; able to be touched or felt; perceptible by the sense of touch.

tango

(dance) A standard ballroom dance in 4/4 time; or a social dance, the Argentine tango.

tanguer

(ambitransitive, aviation, or, nautical) To move so that the front of an aircraft or boat goes alternatively up and down.

Tania

A en given name.

tanière

(figurative) A second home, etc., where one can seek an escape or refuge from the stresses of everyday life.

tank

A closed container for liquids or gases.

tankiste

(military) Member of a tank crew, or of an armoured unit.

tanné (par le soleil)

(of the skin) Tanned; darkened as a result of exposure to the sun.

tanner

(idiomatic, intransitive) to constantly and irritatingly talk (about)

tanneur

A person whose occupation is to tan hides, or convert them into leather by the use of tan.

tant

(idiomatic) For the entire duration that; while; since.

tant pis

(hortative) It is not important; do not fret; used to reassure or comfort the person to whom it is said.

tant que

As long as.

tante

(US, slang, colloquial, derogatory, dated) A homosexual male.

tantine

(Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand) Term of familiarity or respect for a middle-aged or elderly woman.

tantôt

(archaic) Straight away; at once.

tantrique

Related to Vajrayana Buddhism.

Tanzanie

A country in East Africa. Official name: United Republic of Tanzania.

taoïste

Relating to Taoism.

tapage

The act of disturbing, being disturbed.

tapageur

Attracting notice and attention, or prone to doing so.

tapas

A variety of Spanish small savoury food items or snacks such as croquettes, cured meat, potato salad, and seafood, originally served with sherry and now often with other alcoholic beverages as well.

tape

A light tap or slap, especially with the hands.

tape-à-l'œil

Attracting notice and attention, or prone to doing so.

tape-à-l’œil

Showy; visually impressive, attention-getting, or appealing.

tapecul

A structure composed of a plank, balanced in the middle, used as a game in which one person goes up as the other goes down.

taper

(transitive, colloquial) To ask someone to give one (something) for free; to beg for something.

taper (du pied)

(transitive) To move (the foot or feet) quickly and heavily, once or repeatedly.

taper à la machine

To enter text or commands into a computer using a keyboard.

taper du pied

(intransitive) To step quickly and heavily, once or repeatedly.

taper l'incruste

(transitive) To cause something to collide with something else, especially when this results in damage.

taper sur le système

(transitive) To pester; to annoy persistently; to press.

tapette

(Northern England, US, derogatory, colloquial) A male homosexual, especially one who is effeminate.

tapette à mouches

A hand-held device for swatting flies or other insects, to kill or shoo them.

tapeur

(mostly, pejorative) A person having a tendency to take advantage of the help of others, especially if making little effort to help themselves.

tapeuse

(mostly, pejorative) A person having a tendency to take advantage of the help of others, especially if making little effort to help themselves.

tapin

(slang, British) Work.

tapioca

A starchy food made from the cassava plant, used in puddings.

tapis

(poker) A hand where at least one player bets all of his or her chips.

tapis de course

A piece of indoor sporting equipment used to allow for the motions of running or walking while staying in one place.

tapis de marche

A piece of indoor sporting equipment used to allow for the motions of running or walking while staying in one place.

tapis roulant

(skiing) A conveyor belt to transport skiers/snowboarders.

tapoter

(transitive) To press lightly in a repetitive motion with a soft object without rubbing.

taquet

(nautical) A device to quickly affix a line or rope, and from which it is also easy to release.

taquin

(informal) Sexually aroused.

taquiner

(transitive) To tease (someone) mildly.

tarare

That which winnows or which is used in winnowing; a contrivance for fanning or winnowing grain.

taraud

(mechanics) A cylindrical tool used to cut an internal screw thread in a hole, with cutting edges around the lower end and an upper end to which a handle is fitted to turn the tool.

tarauder

To cut an internal screw thread in (a hole); also, to cut (an internal screw thread) in a hole, or to create an internally threaded hole in (something).

tarbouche

A felt hat in the shape of a truncated cone, having a flat top with a tassel attached.

tard

After a deadline has passed, past a designated time.

tarder

(intransitive) To delay; to be late or tardy in beginning or doing anything.

tardif

Later in relation to the proper time something should have happened.

tardivement

In a belated manner; tardily.

taré

(colloquial, derogatory) A crazy or eccentric person. [from 1950s]

tarente

Any lizard of the family Gekkonidae of small, carnivorous, mostly nocturnal animals with large eyes and adhesive toes enabling them to climb on vertical and upside-down surfaces.

tarentelle

A rapid dance in 6/8 time, originating in Italy, or a piece of music for such a dance.

Tarentin

A native or inhabitant of Taranto.

Tarentine

A native or inhabitant of Taranto.

tarentisme

An extreme urge to dance, popularly thought to have been caused by the bite of a tarantula (Lycosa tarantula) and prevalent in southern Italy in the 15th through 17th centuries.

tarière

A carpenter's tool for boring holes longer than those bored by a gimlet.

tarière à trépan

A carpenter's tool for boring holes longer than those bored by a gimlet.

tarif

(countable) Money paid for a transport ticket.

tarin

A bird of the species Spinus spinus, common throughout Eurasia.

tarlouze

(chiefly, UK, slang, derogatory) A homosexual man.

tarmac

(aviation) The paved area of an airport, especially the area where aircraft park away from a terminal.

Tarn

A department of Occitania, France. Capital and largest city: Albi (INSEE code 81).

tarot

(singular or plural) A card game played in various different variations.

tarpé

(slang) A marijuana cigarette.

Tarse

A city in Mersin Province in southeastern Turkey, an important center of Cilicia since antiquity.