French–English dictionary

chute de pluie

(meteorology) The amount of rain that falls on a single occasion

chute libre

(figuratively) Any sharp, sustained, often uncontrollable descent or decline.

chuter

(intransitive) To reach or release a decision.

chutney

A sweet or savory but usually spicy condiment, originally from eastern India, made from a variety of fruits and/or vegetables, often containing significant amounts of fresh green or dried red chili peppers. [from 1813]

chyle

A digestive fluid containing fatty droplets, found in the small intestine.

Chypre

An island and country in the Mediterranean Sea, normally considered politically part of Southeast Europe but geographically part of Western Asia. Official name: Republic of Cyprus. Capital: Nicosia.

ci-après

About to be specified.

ci-dedans

In this; within this content, context, or thing.

ci-dessous

Later in the same text.

ci-dessus

(by ellipsis) Being located higher on the same page or on a preceding page. [first attested in the mid 18th century.]

ci-joint

Contained; held within a container.

ciao

(chiefly, Commonwealth, informal) goodbye, especially as a sign-off in an email or after writing a comment.

cible

The point intended to be hit, or object intended to be attained or affected.

cibler

(intransitive) To direct the intention or purpose; to attempt the accomplishment of a purpose; to try to gain; to endeavor;—followed by at, or by an infinitive

ciboulot

(slang) The human head.

cicatrice

A permanent mark on the skin, sometimes caused by the healing of a wound.

cicatriser

(transitive) To mark the skin permanently.

cicéro

(typography, Continental, _, printing) The Continental equivalent of the English pica: a measure of 12 Didot points (4.51368 mm or about 0.178 in.) or a body of type in this size.

Cicéron

The Roman statesman and orator Mārcus Tullius Cicerō (106–43 BC).

cidre de poire

A fermented alcoholic beverage made from pears; somewhat analogous to cider.

cie

Abbreviation of company (often used as "& Co." (and company))

ciel

(computing) Used to form mass nouns denoting specific classes of computer software, based on use, function, or method of distribution.

cierge magique

A hand-held firework that emits sparks.

cieux

(slang) The upper gallery in a theatre.

cigale

Any of several insects in the superfamily Cicadoidea, with small eyes wide apart on the head and transparent well-veined wings.

cigale de mer

Any of various species of marine or freshwater crustaceans; e.g. a Moreton Bay bug, mudbug.

cigare

A cylinder of tobacco rolled and wrapped with an outer covering of tobacco leaves, intended to be smoked.

cigarette

A small cigar consisting of tobacco or another substance, wrapped up in a thin roll with paper, intended for smoking.

ciguë

Any of the poisonous umbelliferous plants, of the genera

cil

(anatomy, dermatology) One of the hairs which grows along the edge of eyelids.

ciller

(intransitive) To close and reopen both eyes quickly.

cime

The summit of a mountain, etc.

cime des arbres

The crown or uppermost branches of a tree.

ciment

(uncountable) The paste-like substance resulting from mixing such a powder with water, or the rock-like substance that forms when it dries.

cimeterre

A sword of Persian origin that features a curved blade.

cimetière

A tract of land in which the dead are buried.

cimier

(heraldry) A bearing worn, not upon the shield, but usually on a helmet above it, sometimes (as for clerics) separately above the shield or separately as a mark for plate, in letterheads, and the like.

Cimmérien

One of the Cimmerii, ancient equestrian nomads of Indo-European origin.

cinabre

A deep red mineral, mercuric sulfide, HgS; the principal ore of mercury; such ore used as the pigment vermilion.

cinéaste

A producer or director of films/movies.

cinéma

(figuratively, often used attributively) The genre of cinema; film.

cinématographie

The art, process, or job of filming movies.

cinématographique

Of or relating to the cinema.

cinétique

(chemistry) The branch of chemistry that is concerned with the rates of chemical reactions.

cinglant

Harshly or bitterly critical; vitriolic.

cinglé

(chiefly, Britain, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, informal) Crazy, insane, mad.

cinglée

(figurative) A fanatic, a person with an obsession.

cinq

A numerical value equal to 5; the number following four and preceding six.

cinq sur cinq

Loud and clear.

cinquante

The cardinal number occurring after forty-nine and before fifty-one.

cinquième

The ordinal form of the number five.

cintrage

(countable) A type of formwork which serves as a temporary structure during the construction of arches and bridges.

cintré

(informal, US) Foolish; slightly crazy or mad; eccentric.

cintreuse

A type of machine for bending sheet metal. (See wikipedia.)

cirage

(uncountable) Any viscous liquid or paste, such as a lubricant, used in preparing a surface.

cirage de pompes

(informal, vulgar) The practice of kissing ass; flattery; obsequious behavior.

circadien

(biology) Of, relating to, or showing rhythmic behaviour with a period of approximately 24 hours; especially of a biological process.

circoncis

(medicine, urology) Of a man, having had the foreskin of the penis excised.

circoncision

The surgical excision of the foreskin and usually all or most of the penile frenulum.

circonférence

The distance measured around an object; the circumference.

circonscription

(politics) A district represented by one or more elected officials.

circonscription électorale

(politics) A district represented by one or more elected officials.

circonspect

Carefully aware of all circumstances; considerate of all that is pertinent.

circonspection

Attention to all the facts and circumstances of a case; consideration of all that is pertinent.

circonstances aggravantes

An extrinsic circumstance or accident which increases the guilt of a crime or the misery of a calamity.

circonvenir

(transitive) to outwit or outsmart

circonvolutif

(chiefly, anatomy, zoology) Having numerous overlapping coils or folds; convolute.

circonvolution

(mathematics, functional analysis) A mathematical operation on two functions that produces a third that expresses how the shape of one is modified by the other; the integral of the product of the two functions after one is reflected about the y-axis and shifted along the x-axis.

circuit fermé

A complete circuit for an electric current.

circuiterie

(uncountable) Electrical (or, by extension, other) circuits considered as a group.

circulaire

Of or relating to a circle.

circulant

Moving about freely.

circulatoire

Of or pertaining to a circulation, especially to the circulatory system.

circuler

(transitive) to cause (a person or thing) to move in circles or through a circuit

cire

(uncountable) Any viscous liquid or paste, such as a lubricant, used in preparing a surface.

cire d'abeille

A wax secreted by bees from which they make honeycomb; or, the processed form of this wax used in the manufacture of various goods.

cire d’abeille

A wax secreted by bees from which they make honeycomb; or, the processed form of this wax used in the manufacture of various goods.

cirer

(transitive) To apply wax to (something, such as a shoe, a floor, a car, or an apple), usually to make it shiny.

cireux

(of skin) Yellowish.

cirque

(by extension) A place or situation in which disorderly behavior prevails, especially due to a lack of regulatory oversight or an inadequate legal system.

cirre

(zoology) A hair-like tentacle.

cirrhose

(pathology) A chronic disease of the liver caused by damage from toxins (including alcohol), metabolic problems, hepatitis, or nutritional deprivation, characterised by an increase in fibrous tissue and the destruction of liver cells.

cirrostratus

(meteorology) A principal high-level cloud type appearing as a whitish veil, usually fibrous but sometimes smooth, which may totally cover the sky and which often produces halo phenomena. Abbreviated Cs

cisaille

A cutting tool similar to scissors, but often larger.

cisaillement

(mathematics) A transformation that displaces every point in a direction parallel to some given line by a distance proportional to the point's distance from the line.

cisailler

(physics) To deform because of forces pushing in opposite directions.

cisailles

A cutting tool similar to scissors, but often larger.

ciseau

A cutting tool used to remove parts of stone, wood or metal by pushing or pounding the back when the sharp edge is against the material. It consists of a slim, oblong block of metal with a sharp wedge or bevel formed on one end and sometimes a handle at the other end; there are hand tool versions (the original type) and versions as bits for power tools.

ciseleur

One who uses a chisel for carving.

citadin

A citizen of a borough or town, especially one belonging to the middle class.

citadine

A citizen of a borough or town, especially one belonging to the middle class.

citation

A statement attributed to a person; a quotation.

citation à comparaître

(legal) A notice summoning someone to appear in court, as a defendant, juror or witness.

cité universitaire

A building or part of a building which houses students, soldiers, monks etc. who sleep there and use communal further facilities.

citer

(transitive) To prepare a summary of work to be done and set a price; to estimate.

citer à comparaître

(transitive) To ask someone to come; to send for.

citérieur

(literary) Chiefly in place names: situated on the nearer side.

citerne

A reservoir or tank for holding water, especially for catching and holding rainwater for later use.

citoyen

A legally recognized member of a state, with associated rights and obligations; a person considered in terms of this role. [from 14th c.]

citoyenne

A legally recognized member of a state, with associated rights and obligations; a person considered in terms of this role. [from 14th c.]

citoyenneté

The state of being a citizen; the status of a citizen.

citron

The butterfly Gonepteryx rhamni of the Pieridae family.

citron vert

Containing lime or lime juice.

citronnade

(US, Canada, India, Philippines) A flavoured beverage consisting of water, lemon, and sweetener, sometimes ice, served mainly as a refreshment.

citronnier

A semitropical evergreen tree, Citrus limon, that bears such fruits.

citronnier vert

Any of the trees that bear limes, especially Key lime, Citrus aurantiifolia.

citrouille

The round yellow or orange fruit of this plant.

citrus

Any of several shrubs or trees of the genus Citrus in the family Rutaceae.

City

(UK) The United Kingdom's financial industries, which are principally based in the City of London.

civière

A litter to transport the corpse of a dead person.

civil

(Christianity) A resident of the heavenly city or (later) of the kingdom of God: a Christian; a good Christian. [from 15th c.]

civile

(Christianity) A resident of the heavenly city or (later) of the kingdom of God: a Christian; a good Christian. [from 15th c.]

civilisation

(inherently emic, sometimes, capitalized) Collectively, those people and places of the world considered to have a high standard of behavior and / or a high level of development. Commonly subjectively used by people of one society to exclusively refer to their society, or their elite sub-group, or a few associated societies, implying all others, in time or geography or status, as something less than civilised, as savages or barbarians. (Compare refinement, elitism, civilised society, the Civilised World.

civiliser

To educate or enlighten a person or people to a perceived higher standard of behaviour.

civique

Of, relating to, or belonging to a city, a citizen, or citizenship; municipal or civil.

clabaudage

The excited howling of dogs when hunting or being attacked.

clabauder

(transitive) To bark at; hence, to follow with barking; to bring or drive to bay.

clac

(countable) A sudden impact or blow.

claie

A movable frame of wattled twigs, osiers, or withes and stakes, or sometimes of iron, used for enclosing land, for folding sheep and cattle, for gates, etc.; also, in fortification, used as revetments, and for other purposes.

clair

Clear; effective.

clair de lune

(sometimes, attributive) The light reflected from the Moon.

clair de Terre

(astronomy) Reflected earthlight visible on the Moon's night side.

clairance

(medicine) The removal of harmful substances from the blood; renal clearance.

claire

Clear; easily understood.

clairement

In a blatant manner; so as to be highly visible or obvious.

clairet

(chiefly, UK) A dry red wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France, or a similar wine made elsewhere.

clairière

An area of land within a wood or forest devoid of trees.

clairon

(brass instrument) A simple brass instrument consisting of a horn with no valves, playing only pitches in its harmonic series

clairsemé

Having widely spaced intervals.

clairvoyance

(parapsychology) The power to see or perceive things objects or events beyond the natural range of the senses, such as the past or the future.

clairvoyant

Able to see things that cannot be perceived by the normal senses.

clamer

(transitive) To give utterance or expression to; to utter; to publish; to announce

clameur

A clamour, a commotion; a fuss or uproar. [from 17th c.]

clamser

(slang) To die.

clan

A formal group or assembly of witches.

clandestin

Done or kept in secret, sometimes to conceal an illicit or improper purpose.

clandestinement

In a secret or covert manner.

clanique

Of or related to a clan.

clap de fin

Any impediment that prevents all further progress.

clapet

(slang) A person's mouth.

clapier

A tunnel or hole, often as dug by a small creature.

claquage

An injury resulting from violent effort; a sprain.

claqué

(US, _, slang) Exhausted.

claquement

A rattling noise; a repetition of abrupt, sharp sounds.

claquement de doigts

The act of snapping the fingers; making a sound by pressing a finger against the thumb and suddenly releasing to strike the hand.

claquer

(intransitive) To make sudden loud noises, and often repeatedly, especially by exploding or hitting something.

claquer des doigts

(transitive) A video of a person snapping their fingers. Alternative snapping technique To snap one's fingers: to make a snapping sound, often by pressing the thumb and an opposing finger of the same hand together and suddenly releasing the grip so that the finger hits against the palm; alternatively, by bringing the index finger quickly down onto the middle finger and thumb.

claquette

(film) A device used in film production, having hinged boards that are brought together with a clap, used at the start of each take of a motion picture or other video production to be able to synchronize picture and sound during editing.

clarification

The act or process of making or becoming clear.

clarinette

(woodwind instrument) A woodwind musical instrument that has a distinctive liquid tone whose characteristics vary among its three registers: chalumeau (low), clarion (medium), and altissimo (high).