French–English dictionary

abri

A peaceful or tranquil place.

abricot

Of a pale yellowish-orange colour, like that of an apricot.

abricotier

The apricot tree, Prunus armeniaca.

abriter

(transitive) To provide a harbor or safe place for.

abrogation

The act of abolishing; abolition; destruction. [First attested from the mid 16th century.]

abroger

(transitive) To repeal, annul, or declare void; to take (something such as a rule or contract) out of effect.

abrupt

Abrupt in address; plain; unceremonious; wanting in the forms of civility; rough in manners or speech.

abruptement

In an abrupt manner; without giving notice, or without the usual forms; suddenly; precipitously. [First attested in the late 16th century.]

abruti

(colloquial, pejorative) An incompetent person, a blockhead; a loser.

abrutie

(colloquial, pejorative) An incompetent person, a blockhead; a loser.

abrutir

(transitive) To make brutal, cruel or harsh.

abrutissant

(idiomatic) Excessively boring, tedious, or dull; repetitive; of an activity, etc., lacking any interest or variety that might serve as intellectual stimulation.

abrutissement

Mental lethargy or dullness.

ABS

(automotive) Initialism of antilock braking system.

abscondre

(intransitive) To hide, to be in hiding or concealment.

abscons

Difficult to comprehend or understand; obscure. [from mid 16th c.]

absence

Lack; deficiency; non-existence. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]

absence du fer

(fencing) Lack of contact between blades.

absentéisme

The state of being absent, especially frequently or without good reason; the practice of an absentee. [First attested in the early 19th century.]

absinthe

The herb absinthium Artemisia absinthium (grande wormwood); essence of wormwood. [from 1350–1470]

absolu

(philosophy, usually capitalized, usually preceded by "the") A realm which exists without reference to anything else; that which can be imagined purely by itself; absolute ego.

absolument

In an absolute or unconditional manner; utterly, positively, wholly.

absolutisme

(political science, sociology) The principles or practice of absolute or arbitrary government; Synonym of despotism. [First attested in the early 19th century.]

absorbant

Having the ability or tendency to absorb; able to soak up liquid easily; absorptive. [First attested in the early 18th century.]

absorbé

Fully occupied with one's thoughts; engrossed. [First attested in the mid 18th century.]

absorber

(transitive) To include so that it no longer has separate existence; to overwhelm; to cause to disappear as if by swallowing up; to incorporate; to assimilate; to take in and use up. [first attested c. 1350 to 1470.]

abstème

(American spelling) A person who completely abstains from alcoholic beverages.

abstenir

(intransitive) Refrain from (something or doing something); keep from doing, especially an indulgence. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]

abstinence

Specifically, the practice of abstaining from sexual intercourse, either permanently or until marriage. [First attested around 1150 to 1350.]

abstinence sexuelle

Specifically, the practice of abstaining from sexual intercourse, either permanently or until marriage. [First attested around 1150 to 1350.]

abstinent

Abstinent from alcohol; never drinking alcohol.

abstinente

(American spelling) A person who completely abstains from alcoholic beverages.

abstraire

To conceptualize an ideal subgroup by means of the generalization of an attribute, as follows: by apprehending an attribute inherent to one individual, then separating that attribute and contemplating it by itself, then conceiving of that attribute as a general quality, then despecifying that conceived quality with respect to several or many individuals, and by then ideating a group composed of those individuals perceived to possess said quality.

abstrait

An abridgement or summary of a longer publication. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]

abstrus

Difficult to comprehend or understand; obscure. [from mid 16th c.]

absurde

Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and flatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; silly. [from mid-16th c.]

absurdité

(countable, uncountable, informal) (An instance of) meaningless nonsense with an outward appearance of being impressive and legitimate.

absurdités

(by extension, chiefly, Commonwealth) Nonsense.

abus

Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; an unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom. [from around 1350 to 1470]

abusé

Used too much, or too often.

abyssal

(now, rare) Pertaining to, or resembling an abyss. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]

abysse

Hell; the bottomless pit; primeval chaos; a confined subterranean ocean. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]

Abyssinie

(historical) Former name of Ethiopia: a country and former empire in East Africa; used as an exonym until the mid 20th century.

acabit

(type theory) The type of a type constructor or a higher-order type operator.

acacia

(countable) A shrub or tree of the tribe Acacieae. [First attested around 1350 to 1470.]

académicien

A member or follower of an academy, or society for promoting science, art, or literature, such as the French Academy, or the Royal Academy of Arts. [from 17th c.]

académicienne

A member or follower of an academy, or society for promoting science, art, or literature, such as the French Academy, or the Royal Academy of Arts. [from 17th c.]

académie de musique

(music) A music academy.

académique

Belonging to an academy or other higher institution of learning, or a scholarly society or organization. [from late 16th century]

acariâtre

Of or pertaining to bad temper; showing anger easily or customarily.

acarien

(zoology) Of or pertaining to acarids.

accablant

Condemning.

accablé

Suffering from an affliction, or suffering from pain, distress or disability.

accablement

Amazement or horror that confounds the faculties, and incapacitates for reflection; terror, combined with amazement; dismay.

accabler

To overpower emotionally.

accaparer

(transitive, business, obsolete) To buy up wholesale, especially to buy the whole supply of (a commodity etc.).

accéléré

Moving or progressing faster than is usual.

accélérer

(transitive) To accelerate the progress of.

accent

Special weight or forcefulness given to something considered important.

accenteur mouchet

A small European and Asian passerine bird, Prunella modularis; the hedge sparrow or hedge warbler.

accentué

(phonetics) Having a stress or accent.

accentuer

(transitive) To mark emphatically; to emphasize; to accentuate; to make prominent.

acceptabilité

The quality of being acceptable; acceptableness.

acceptable

Satisfactory, reasonably good; not exceptional.

acceptation

(law) An agreeing to the action, proposals, or terms of another by some act which results in the conclusion of a legally binding contract; the reception or taking of a thing bought as that for which it was bought, or as that agreed to be delivered, or the taking of possession of a thing as owner.

accepter

(transitive) To receive or admit to; to agree to; to assent to; to submit to.

accepter de payer

(transitive) To receive or admit to; to agree to; to assent to; to submit to.

accès

A permission to have access to sensitive or secret documents or other information.

accesseur

(object-oriented programming) A function used to retrieve the value of some property of an object, contrasted with the setter.

accessibilité

The quality of being accessible, or of admitting approach; receptiveness.

accessible

Readily obtainable.

accessoire

Having a secondary, supplementary or subordinate function by accompanying as a subordinate; aiding in a secondary way; being additional; contributing or being contributory. [from 1550s]

accident

Something that happens by chance, especially an unfortunate event; an accident, a disaster.

accident vasculaire cérébral

(medicine, formal, sometimes, euphemistic) Stroke (loss of brain function arising when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted).

accidenté

Rough; jumpy; causing or characterized by jolts and irregular movements.

accidentel

Happening by chance, or unexpectedly; taking place not according to the usual course of things; by accident, unintentional. [from 16th c.]

accidentellement

In an accidental manner; by chance, unexpectedly.

acclamation

A shout of approbation, favor, or assent; eager expression of approval; loud applause.

acclamer

(transitive, rare) To salute or praise with great approval; to compliment; to applaud; to welcome enthusiastically.

acclimatation

The act of acclimatizing; the process of inuring to a new climate, or the state of being so inured.

acclimater

(transitive, chiefly, US) To habituate to a climate not native; to acclimatize.

accointance

(uncountable) A state of being acquainted with a person; originally indicating friendship, intimacy, but now suggesting a slight knowledge less deep than that of friendship; acquaintanceship. [from 12th c.]

accolade

(music) A brace used to join two or more staves.

accommodant

Willing to comply; submissive; willing to do what someone wants.

accommoder

(transitive) To show the correspondence of; to apply or make suit by analogy; to adapt or fit, as teachings to accidental circumstances, statements to facts, etc.

accompagné

In company; together.

accompagner

(intransitive, followed by "with") To accompany.

accompli

Finished.

accomplie

(figuratively) Having attained its full development; mature; perfected.

accomplir

(transitive) To carry out successfully; to accomplish. [from 14th c.]

accomplissement

The act of achieving or performing; a successful performance; accomplishment.

accord

Endorsement; approval; acceptance; acquiescence.

accordance

Agreement; harmony; conformity; compliance.

accordé

(of a musical instrument) Tuned to the correct pitch.

accordéon

A box-shaped musical instrument played by compressing or expanding its bellows while pressing its buttons or its keys, causing pallets to open, which allow air to flow across strips of brass or steel (reeds).

accorder

(transitive) To make to agree or correspond; to suit one thing to another; to adjust.

accorder de manière clémente

To graciously give, to condescendingly grant a right, benefit, outcome, etc.; to deign to acknowledge.

accorder en mariage

(transitive) To arrange for the marriage of; to give away as wife or husband. [from 14th c.]

accorder la main

(transitive) To arrange for the marriage of; to give away as wife or husband. [from 14th c.]

accorder pour épouse

(transitive) To arrange for the marriage of; to give away as wife or husband. [from 14th c.]

accorder un sursis

(transitive) To cancel or postpone the punishment of someone, especially an execution.

accorné

Having horns.

accoster

(transitive) To provide a harbor or safe place for.

accotement

(UK, Western Australia, New Zealand) The grassy area between the footpath and the street; a tree lawn; a grassed strip running alongside either side of an outback road.

accouchement

(countable) An instance of childbirth.

accoucher

(transitive) To bear or give birth to (a child).

accoucheur

(medicine) A person, especially a man, who delivers a baby (in childbirth).

accoucheuse

(rare) A midwife.

accouplement

(rare) The act of coupling, or the state of being coupled; union

accoupler

(intransitive, of two objects) To join: to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to each other.

accoutrement

(archaic) The act of accoutering; furnishing.

accoutrer

(transitive) To furnish with dress or equipments, especially those for military service

accoutumer

(transitive, often, passive, or, reflexive, with to) To make familiar by use; to cause to accept; to habituate, familiarize, or inure.

accréditation

The giving of credentials.

accro

A person who is addicted, especially to a harmful drug.

accro au crack

(slang, derogatory) A person who is addicted to or regularly uses crack cocaine.

accroc

(informal) A minor obstacle or setback.

accrochage

A short and sometimes occasional encounter or experience.

accroche

(marketing) A preview or part of a product released in preparation of its main advertising, typically a short film, song, or quote.

accrocher

To hold very tightly, as to not fall off.

accroître

(intransitive) To increase, to rise

accroupi

Sitting on one's heels; sitting close to the ground; cowering or crouching.

accroupir

(intransitive) To crouch or squat close to the ground or lie down

accueillant

hospitable, accessible and cordial.

accueillir

(transitive) To receive or admit to; to agree to; to assent to; to submit to.

acculer

(transitive) To trap in a position of great difficulty or hopeless embarrassment.

accumulateur

(literal) One who, or that which, accumulates.

accumulation

An accumulation; an increase; a gradual development.

accumulatrice

(literal) One who, or that which, accumulates.

accumuler

(transitive) To amass, usually for one's own private collection.

accusateur

(obsolete) An accuser.

accusatrice

One who accuses; one who brings a charge of crime or fault.

accusé

(legal) The person charged with an offense; the defendant in a criminal case.

accusé de réception

A written acknowledgment that a specified article or sum of money has been received.

accusée

(legal) The person charged with an offense; the defendant in a criminal case.

accuser

(with on, (archaic) for) To officially charge someone in a court of law.

accuser réception

(transitive) To own as genuine or valid; to assent to (a legal instrument) to give it validity; to avow or admit in legal form.

ace

(tennis, volleyball) A serve won without the opponent hitting the ball.

acédie

Spiritual or mental sloth.

acéphale

Without a head (body part).

acerbe

(archaic) Sour, bitter, and harsh to the taste, such as unripe fruit.

acerbité

Sourness of taste, with bitterness and astringency, like that of unripe fruit.

acéré

Sudden, abrupt, intense, rapid.

acétaminophène

(North America) A white crystalline compound used in medicine as an anodyne to relieve pain and reduce fever.

acétone

(organic compound) A colourless, volatile, flammable liquid ketone, (CH3)2CO, used as a solvent.

acétylène

A lamp powered by acetylene, particularly a motor vehicle headlight.

Achab

A king of Israel, mentioned in the Bible.

achalandage

(accounting) The value of a business entity not directly attributable to its tangible assets and liabilities, deriving from factors such as consumer loyalty to the brand.

acharné

(originally, US, informal) Recklessly determined to do or achieve (something). [with on ‘something’]

acharnement

The condition of being ferocious.