French–English dictionary

Barcelone

The capital city of Catalonia, Spain.

bardage

(North America) A building material which covers and protects the sides of a house or other building.

bardane

Any of the species of biennial thistles in the genus Arctium.

barde

A professional poet and singer, like among the ancient Celts, whose occupation was to compose and sing verses in honor of the heroic achievements of princes and brave men.

bardeau

The hybrid offspring of a stallion (male horse) and a she-ass (female donkey).

barder

(intransitive, UK, idiomatic, colloquial) To be overcome with anger, to start an argument or a fight; to behave aggressively.

bardo

(Tibetan, _, Buddhism) The state of existence between death and subsequent reincarnation.

bardot

The hybrid offspring of a stallion (male horse) and a she-ass (female donkey).

bareback

(slang) Without a condom.

baréter

(ambitransitive) Of an elephant, to make its cry.

barge

(watercraft) A large flat-bottomed towed or self-propelled boat used mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods or bulk cargo.

baril

The quantity which constitutes a full barrel: the volume or weight this represents varies by local law and custom.

barillet

Such a cask of a certain size, holding one-eighth of what a tun#Noun holds. (See a diagram comparing cask sizes.)

barine

(historical) A member of a rank of aristocracy (second only to princes) in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia and Romania.

barista

A person who prepares coffee in a coffee shop for customers.

barmaid

A woman who serves in a bar. [from Template:SAFESUBST: c.]

barman

One who tends a bar or pub; a person preparing and serving drinks at a bar. [from Template:SAFESUBST: c.]

barn

(nuclear physics) A unit of surface area equal to 10−28 square metres.

barniques

(dated) A pair of lenses set in a frame worn on the nose and ears in order to correct deficiencies in eyesight or to ornament the face.

barnum

(British, Australia, NZ) A large tent with open sides, used for outdoors entertainment.

baron

A baron of beef, a cut made up of a double sirloin.

baronne

A woman holding a baronial title in her own right; a female ruler of a barony.

baronnet

The bearer of a hereditary title, below a peerage and senior to most knighthoods.

barouf

Confused, agitated noise as made by a crowd.

baroufe

Confused, agitated noise as made by a crowd.

Barqa

(historical) Former name of Marj: a city in Libya (in the former Roman province of Libya Superior/Libya Pentapolitana).

barque

(watercraft) A vessel, typically with three (or more) masts, with the foremasts (or fore- and mainmasts) square-rigged, and mizzenmast schooner-rigged.

barquette

(UK, Irish, Commonwealth) A small basket or receptacle for collecting and selling fruit, particularly strawberries.

barrage

A structure placed across a flowing body of water to stop the flow or part of the flow, generally for purposes such as retaining or diverting some of the water or retarding the release of accumulated water to avoid abrupt flooding.

barrage routier

Something that blocks or obstructs a road.

barre

(music) A vertical line across a musical staff dividing written music into sections, typically of equal durational value.

barre à disques

A wide steel bar with premeasured weights affixed to either end, with the central span open for the hands of the weightlifter.

barre d’armature

(countable) A steel reinforcing bar in a reinforced concrete structure.

barre de manœuvre

The part of an object which is (designed to be) held in the hand when used or moved.

barre oblique

(originally, _, US, typography) The slash mark: the punctuation mark ⟨/⟩.

barre oblique inversée

The punctuation mark \.

barre omnibus

An electrical conductor that carries a large current, especially one that is part of a power distribution system; typically a thick strip, or a tube, of copper or aluminium.

barreau

The profession of an advocate.

barrer

(transitive) To lock or bolt with a bar.

barreur

(nautical) The member of a vessel's crew in charge of steering the vessel; a helmsman or helmswoman.

barreuse

(nautical) The member of a vessel's crew in charge of steering the vessel; a helmsman or helmswoman.

barricade

A barrier constructed across a road, especially as a military defence

barricader

To close or block a road etc., as, or using, a barricade.

barrière

(figuratively) An obstacle, real or perceived, physical or abstract.

barrique

(countable) A round (cylindrical) vessel, such as a cask, of greater length than breadth, and bulging in the middle, made of staves bound with hoops, and having flat ends (heads). The word is sometimes applied to a similar cylindrical container made of metal, usually called a drum.

barrir

(ambitransitive) Of an elephant, to make its cry.

barynia

(historical) A member of a rank of aristocracy (second only to princes) in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia and Romania.

baryum

The chemical element (symbol Ba) with an atomic number of 56. It is a soft, reactive, silvery alkaline earth metal.

bas

Of sound, a voice or an instrument, low in pitch or frequency.

bas de plafond

Unsophisticated, not intended for an audience of intelligence, education or culture.

bas peuple

A class of people in a society characterized by low incomes, low level of education, high unemployment and, as a result of these, a low social status.

bas-fond

A shallow portion of an otherwise deep body of water.

basalte

(mineral) A hard mafic igneous rock of varied mineral content; volcanic in origin, which makes up much of the Earth's oceanic crust.

bascule

(computing, electronics) A bistable; an electronic switching circuit that has either two stable states (switching between them in response to a trigger) or a stable and an unstable state (switching from one to the other and back again in response to a trigger), and which is thereby capable of serving as one bit of memory. [from 20th c.]

basculement

The act of swaying; a swaying motion; a swing or sweep of a weapon.

basculer

(intransitive) To tilt back and forth on an edge.

base

(Canada, US, alone, or, postpositive, chiefly, humorous) Of a fact, subject, etc.: basic, beginner-level, elementary.

base de données

(general) A collection of (usually) organized information in a regular structure, usually but not necessarily in a machine-readable format accessible by a computer.

base de lancement

A site for launching spacecraft, usually in reference to such Soviet or Russian built sites as the Baikonur, Kazakhstan and Plesetsk, Russia cosmodromes.

base de registre

(countable, computing) A database of configuration settings etc. maintained by the Microsoft Windows operating system.

base lunaire

(originally, scifi) A base or outpost located on a moon.

base-ball

The ball used to play the sport of baseball.

baseball

The ball used to play the sport of baseball.

baser

(transitive) To give as its foundation or starting point; to lay the foundation of.

Basile

A en given name, in quiet but steady use in the UK.

basilique

(architecture) A Christian church building having a nave with a semicircular apse, side aisles, a narthex and a clerestory.

basique

(chemistry) Having a pH greater than 7.

basket

(US, Atlantic Canada, Australia, New Zealand) An athletic shoe with a soft, rubber sole. A trainer.

basket-ball

(countable) The particular kind of ball used in the sport of basketball.

basketball

(countable) The particular kind of ball used in the sport of basketball.

Basquais

A member of a cultural and ethnic people living in the western Pyrenees and the Bay of Biscay between France and Spain.

basquaise

Relating to the Basque people or their language.

basque

Relating to the Basque people or their language.

bassaris rusé

A North American ringtail, Bassariscus astutus

basse

(phonetics) Made with a relatively large opening between the tongue and the palate; made with (part of) the tongue positioned low in the mouth, relative to the palate.

basse pression

(meteorology, informal) An area of low pressure; a depression.

basse terre

An area which is considered particularly low or lower than surrounding areas.

basse-cour

The meat from a domestic fowl.

bassin

(anatomy) The large compound bone structure at the base of the spine that supports the legs in hominids.

bassin hygiénique

A pan used for urination and defecation while in bed, now usually for reasons of medical necessity or convenience.

Bassin méditerranéen

A region of Southern Europe and North Africa and Western Asia. The region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.

bassine

A wide bowl for washing, sometimes affixed to a wall.

bassiste

A musician who plays a bass instrument, especially the bass guitar.

basson

A musical instrument in the woodwind family, having a double reed and playing in the tenor and bass ranges.

Bassorah

A port city in southeastern Iraq.

Bastien

A en given name.

Bastille

A former fortress and prison in Paris, France, the storming of which in 1789 began the French Revolution.

bastingage

(nautical) The planking or plating along the sides of a nautical vessel above her gunwale that reduces the likelihood of seas washing over the gunwales and people being washed overboard.

bastion

Chiefly in French contexts: a bastion or tower of a castle; also, a fortified tower or other building; or a small citadel or fortress.

baston

A disorderly argument or fight, usually with a large number of people involved.

bastonnade

(with "the") Corporal punishment by beating with a cane.

batail

An object so suspended inside a bell that it may hit the bell and cause it to ring; a clanger or tongue.

bataille

(military) A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions of an army are or may be engaged; a combat, an engagement.

bataille navale

A guessing game played on grid paper; see Battleship (game).

batailleur

Given to struggling with others out of jealousy or discord.

bâtard

(archaic) Jumbled, mixed.

bateau

(colloquial) Unconvincing or unbelievable.

bateau à moteur

(nautical) Any vessel driven by an engine (either inboard or outboard), but especially a small one.

bateau à rames

(US) A small open boat propelled by oars (by rowing).

bateau à vapeur

A boat or vessel propelled by steam power.

bateau amiral

(nautical, military) The ship occupied by the fleet's commander (usually an admiral); it denotes this by flying his flag.

bateau de pêche

A person who catches fish, especially for a living or for sport; a person engaging in the pastime of fishing.

bateau fluvial

A watercraft designed for operating on rivers.

bateau gonflable

(nautical) A boat or dinghy that may be inflated when needed.

bateau pneumatique

(nautical) A boat or dinghy that may be inflated when needed.

bateau-mouche

A watercraft designed for operating on rivers.

bateau-pêcheur

A person who catches fish, especially for a living or for sport; a person engaging in the pastime of fishing.

bateau-théâtre

(US) A river steamboat having a resident theatre.

batelier

A sailor on a small vessel (boat), particularly its captain.

bathomètre

An instrument that measures the depth of water, used especially to measure the depth of ocean water.

bathos

(literature, the arts) Risible failure on the part of a work of art to properly affect its audience, particularly owing to:

bathymètre

An instrument that measures the depth of water, used especially to measure the depth of ocean water.

bathyscaphe

A self-propelled deep-sea diving submersible for exploring the ocean depths, consisting of a crew cabin similar to a bathysphere suspended below a float filled with a buoyant liquid such as petrol.

batifoler

To leap or jump about in a sprightly or playful manner.

bâtiment

(countable) A closed structure with walls and a roof.

bâtir

(transitive) To sew with long or loose stitches, as for temporary use, or in preparation for gathering the fabric.

bâtisseur

One who builds or constructs things.

bâtisseuse

One who builds or constructs things.

Batman

A fictional hero and the main protagonist of DC Comics, noted for his intellect and stealth, who uses a bat-themed costume and equipment (including a belt with an array of utilities) and is assisted by his sidekick Robin.

bâton

(intransitive) To take a turn at hitting a ball with a bat in sports like cricket, baseball and softball, as opposed to fielding.

baton d’échappement

Each of a series of blocks in a harpsichord or the earlier virginal, communicating the action of the key to the quill; sometime also, a hopper in a modern piano. [from 16th c.]

bâtonner

To strike or beat with a cane or similar implement.

bâtonnet

(transitive) To prepare food by cutting it into strips.

battage

Sensational or clamorous advertising or publicity.

battage médiatique

(marketing) Promotion or propaganda, especially exaggerated claims.

battant

An object so suspended inside a bell that it may hit the bell and cause it to ring; a clanger or tongue.

batte

(intransitive) To take a turn at hitting a ball with a bat in sports like cricket, baseball and softball, as opposed to fielding.

battement

A pulsation or throb.

battement de cœur

A heartbeat.

batterie

(electrical, electronics, countable) A device used to power electric devices, consisting of one or more electrically connected electrochemical cells or (archaically) electrostatic cells.

batterie d'artifice

(pyrotechnics) A multishot fireworks assembly comprising several tubes, each with a fireworks effect, lit by a single fuse.

batterie de feu d'artifice

(pyrotechnics) A multishot fireworks assembly comprising several tubes, each with a fireworks effect, lit by a single fuse.

batteur

(baseball) The player attempting to hit the ball with a bat.

batteuse

(musician) One who plays the drums.

battre

(transitive) To win against; to defeat or overcome; to do or be better than (someone); to excel in a particular, competitive event.

battre à plate couture

(transitive, colloquial, loosely) To defeat severely in various, even non-contact, competitive sports.

battre en retraite

(intransitive) To withdraw military forces.

battre le rappel

(intransitive) To be gathered together for parade, inspection, exercise, or the like (especially of a military force); to come together as parts of a force or body. [from 15th c.]

battre monnaie

To invent; to forge; to fabricate; to fashion.

battre ou mettre en carène

(intransitive) To lurch or sway violently from side to side.

battre quelqu'un

(dated in UK English but not US English) To give a thrashing to; to beat severely.

battue

(uncountable, hunting, often, attributively) A form of hunting in which game is forced into the open by the beating of sticks on bushes, etc. [from early 19th c.]

bau

(nautical) A beam laid across the bitts, to which the cable is fastened when riding at anchor.

Baudouin

(countable) A en given name; rather rare in English.

baudroie

Any fish of the bony fish order Lophiiformes, which have an outgrowth they wiggle to lure and catch their prey.

baume

(chiefly, UK) A soothing ointment.

bavard

(informal) Of a person, chatting a lot or fond of chatting.

bavardage

Idle talk; senseless prattle

bavarder

(intransitive) To talk too much; to chatter; to prattle.

bavarois

Of, from or relating to the state of Bavaria, Germany.