French–English dictionary

Clarisse

(Catholicism) Synonym of Poor Clare: a nun of the Order of Saint Clare.

Clark

A en given name.

clarté

The state or measure of being clear, either in appearance, thought or style; lucidity.

clasher

(transitive, figuratively) To subject to bantering, severely criticize, sometimes as a comedy routine.

classe

(Christian angelology) One of the nine ranks or orders of angels.

classe wrapper

(object-oriented) A construct, such as a class or module, that serves to mediate access to another.

classement

A board showing the ranking of leaders in a competition.

classer

(transitive) To assign a category; to divide into classes.

classeur

An organizer that papers are kept in, usually with an index tab, to be stored as a single unit in a filing cabinet.

classification

The act of forming into a class or classes; a distribution into groups, as classes, orders, families, etc., according to some common relations or attributes.

classifier

(transitive) To assign a category; to divide into classes.

classique

Exemplary of a particular style; defining a class/category; typical.

classiquement

In a classical manner; according to the manner of classical authors.

Claude

(countable) A en given name.

Claudie

A en given name.

claudiquer

(intransitive) To walk lamely, as if favoring one leg.

clause

(legal) A distinct part of a contract, a will or another legal document.

clause de non-responsabilité

A public disavowal, as of responsibility, pretensions, claims, opinions, etc.

claustral

Of or pertaining to a cloister.

claustrophobe

One who suffers from claustrophobia.

claustrophobie

(psychology) A condition of restlessness and irritability caused by being in a confined space.

clavardage

(countable, uncountable) An exchange of text or voice messages in real time through a computer network, resembling a face-to-face conversation.

clavarder

To exchange text or voice messages in real time through a computer network such as a social media chat room or messaging application (as if having a face-to-face conversation instead of SMS or writing emails or letters).

claveau

(architecture) The top stone of an arch.

clavecin

(musical instruments) A musical instrument with a keyboard that produces sound through a mechanical process. When the performer presses a key, a corresponding plectrum plucks a tuned string. The harpsichord originated in late medieval Europe and is one of the most important instruments used to perform Baroque music.

clavicule

(skeleton) The collarbone; the prominent bone at the top of the chest between the shoulder and the neck connecting the shoulder and the breastbone.

clavier

(music) An electronic device containing a keyboard (preceding sense), especially one that is capable of producing musical sounds when the keys are played.

clavier électronique

(music) An electronic device containing a keyboard (preceding sense), especially one that is capable of producing musical sounds when the keys are played.

clé

(music) A symbol found on a musical staff that indicates the pitches represented by the lines and the spaces on the staff [from Template:SAFESUBST: c.]

clé d'arc

(architecture) The top stone of an arch.

clé de serrage

(Commonwealth, UK, Irish) A hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts.

clé de tête

(martial arts, wrestling) A grappling hold around a person's neck, especially one in which the neck is grasped tightly from behind with an arm, cutting off the flow of blood to the brain and restricting breathing.

clé de voûte

(architectural element) A knob or projection, usually at the intersection of ribs in a vault.

clé électronique

(computer hardware) A hardware device used by a specific application for purposes of copy protection.

clé en main

Ready to use without further assembly or test; supplied in a state that is ready to turn on and operate (typically refers to an assembly that is outsourced for manufacture).

clean

Devoid of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

clébard

(dated, or, humorous) A contemptible or inferior dog.

clebs

(dated, or, humorous) A contemptible or inferior dog.

clef

(music) A symbol found on a musical staff that indicates the pitches represented by the lines and the spaces on the staff [from Template:SAFESUBST: c.]

clef à écrous

(Commonwealth, UK, Irish) A hand tool for adjusting nuts and bolts.

clef d'arc

(architecture) The top stone of an arch.

clef de voûte

(architecture) The top stone of an arch.

Clém

A en given name.

clématite vigne-blanche

A climbing plant, Clematis vitalba.

clémence

The gentle or kind exercise of power; leniency, mercy; compassion in judging or punishing.

Clément

A en given name, borne by an early pope and by several saints.

clémentine

A type of small, sweet-tasting orange, the result of a hybrid cross between the willowleaf variety of mandarin orange (Citrus × aurantium f. deliciosa) and a sweet orange (Citrus sinensis). Scientific name: Citrus × clementina.

Cléopâtre

A given name of women in the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt; notably Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt (69–30 BCE); last of the Ptolemy line.

clerc

A male member of a clergy; especially, an ordained (male) Christian minister.

cléresse

A cleric; especially, an ordained (male or female) Christian minister.

clergé

Body of persons, such as priests, who are trained and ordained for religious service.

clergesse

A cleric; especially, an ordained (male or female) Christian minister.

clérical

Of or relating to clerks or their work.

clés en main

Ready to use without further assembly or test; supplied in a state that is ready to turn on and operate (typically refers to an assembly that is outsourced for manufacture).

clic

A brief, sharp, not particularly loud, relatively high-pitched sound produced by the impact of something small and hard against something hard, such as by the operation of a switch, a lock, or a latch.

clic-clac

A sofa that unfolds into a bed.

cliché

(rhetoric) Something, most often a phrase or expression, that is overused or used outside its original context, so that its original impact and meaning are lost. A trite saying; a platitude. [from 19th c.]

clicher

(transitive) To make a stereotype of someone or something, or characterize someone by a stereotype.

client

A customer, a buyer or receiver of goods or services.

cliente

A customer, a buyer or receiver of goods or services.

clientèle

The body or class of people who frequent an establishment or purchase a service, especially when considered as forming a more-or-less homogeneous group of clients in terms of values or habits.

clientélisme

A political system based on personal relations rather than personal merits.

cliffhanger

(narratology) An ending or stopping point calculated to leave a story unresolved, in order to create suspense.

clignement

The act of quickly closing both eyes and opening them again.

cligner

To bat, blink or wink the eyes.

cligner de l’œil

(transitive, intransitive) To blink with only one eye as a message, signal, or suggestion, usually with an implication of conspiracy. (When transitive, the object may be the eye being winked, or the message being conveyed.)

cligner des yeux

(intransitive) To close and reopen both eyes quickly.

clignotant

(UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, automotive ) A turn signal; each of the flashing lights on each side of a vehicle which indicate a turn is being made to left or right, or a lane change etc.

clignoter

(intransitive) To close and reopen both eyes quickly.

climatique

Of, relating to, or influenced by climate.

clin d'œil

(idiom) A moment (a very short period of time).

clin d’œil

(figuratively) The time needed to close and reopen one's eyes.

clinch

(wrestling, combat sports) The act of one or both fighters holding onto the other to prevent being hit or engage in standup grappling.

clinique

A medical facility, such as a hospital, especially one for the treatment and diagnosis of outpatients.

cliniquement

In the setting of a medical clinic; in a clinical setting; (of a health condition) to a degree high enough to be relevant to clinical practice.

clinquant

A thin, shiny foil for ornamental purposes which is of a material made of metal or resembling metal; especially, narrow glittering strips of such a material, often strung on to thread, and traditionally at Christmastime draped on Christmas trees, hung from balustrades or ceilings, or wrapped around objects as a decoration.

Clio

(Greek god) The goddess of history and heroic poetry, and one of the Muses; the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne.

clip

Something which has been clipped from a larger whole:

clipper

(nautical) Any of several forms of very fast sailing ships having a long, low hull and a sharply raked stem.

clique

A small, exclusive group of individuals, usually according to lifestyle or social status; a cabal.

cliqueter

(Northern England) Of a person: to speak loudly or too much; to chatter, to prate; of a bird: to make a noisy chattering sound.

cliquetis

A loud, hard sound of metal hitting metal.

clito

(slang, often, derogatory) A penis likened to a clitoris, especially in terms of smallness.

clitoris

(anatomy) A sensitive elongated erectile sex organ at the anterior part of the vulva in female humans and other mammals. [from 17th c.]

clivant

Having a quality that divides or separates.

cliver

(intransitive) To split.

cloaque

(by extension) A filthy place.

clochard

(countable, dated) An abandoned or forsaken person; an outcast, a waif.

cloche

(percussion instrument) A percussive instrument made of metal or other hard material, typically but not always in the shape of an inverted cup with a flared rim, which resonates when struck.

clocher

(architecture) A tower or steeple typically containing bells, especially as part of a church.

Clochette

Anything whose existence or power depends on the faith of believers.

clodo

(North America) A wandering homeless person, especially (historical) one illegally travelling by rail or (pejorative) a penniless, unemployed bum.

clodote

(specifically) A person without settled employment or habitation who usually supports himself or herself by begging or some dishonest means; a tramp, a vagabond.

clodotte

(specifically) A person without settled employment or habitation who usually supports himself or herself by begging or some dishonest means; a tramp, a vagabond.

cloison

(figuratively) A barrier, for example an emotional barrier.

cloison sèche

A building material comprising a sheet of gypsum sandwiched between two pieces of heavy paper, used mainly for interior walls and ceilings.

cloître

(uncountable) The act of enclosing, i.e. the insertion or inclusion of an item in a letter or package.

cloitrer

(uncountable) The act of separating and surrounding an area, domain, or amount of something with a barrier.

cloner

(transitive) To create a clone of.

clonie

A sudden, often uncontrolled movement, especially of the human body.

clope

(colloquial, countable) A cigarette.

cloporte

(US) Any of very many terrestrial crustaceans, of the family Armadillidiidae, a subgroup of the woodlice, that can roll themselves up into a protective ball.

cloque

(pathology, dated) A diseased condition of the face or skin; specifically, bleeding under the conjunctiva of the eye, a form of skin rash, or a palsy of the face due to cold.

cloquer

(intransitive) To have a blister form.

clore

(physical) To remove or block an opening, gap or passage through.

clos

Surrounded by a wall, fence or similar barrier.

clôture

The end or conclusion of something.

clôture de chœur

The space around the altar in a church, often enclosed, for use by the clergy and the choir. In medieval cathedrals the chancel was usually enclosed or blocked off from the nave by an altar screen.

clôturer

(transitive) To enclose, contain or separate by building fence.

clou

A raised pavement marker to further indicate the presence of a pavement-marking painted stripe.

clou de girofle

(uncountable, or, countable) A very pungent aromatic spice, the unexpanded flower bud of the clove tree.

clou semence

A small nail with a flat head.

clouage

(chess) Either a scenario in which moving a lesser piece to escape from attack would expose a more valuable piece to being taken instead, or one where moving a piece is impossible as it would place the king in check.

cloud

(cloud computing, with "the") The Internet, regarded as an abstract amorphous omnipresent space for processing and storage, the focus of cloud computing.

cloué au lit

Confined to bed because of infirmity or illness.

clouer

(chess, usually, in the passive) To cause (a piece) to be in a pin.

clouer au pilori

(transitive) To criticize harshly.

clouer au sol

(transitive) To forbid (an aircraft or pilot) to fly.

clouer le bec

(transitive, US) To halt, stop, eliminate, stamp out, or put down, often suddenly or by force.

clouté

Having spikes.

clown

A grotesque performer or clown, buffoon.

clownesque

Resembling or characteristic of a circus clown; comical, ridiculous.

clownesse

A slapstick performance artist often associated with a circus and usually characterized by bright, oversized clothing, a red nose, face paint, and a brightly colored wig.

club

(countable, golf) An implement to hit the ball in certain ball games, such as golf.

cmdre

(US, military, nautical, historical) Abbreviation of commodore admiral.

cmdre.

(US, military, nautical, historical) Abbreviation of commodore admiral.

cnidaire

(zoology) Any of various invertebrate animals, such as jellyfish, hydras, sea anemones, corals and formerly sponges and ctenophores that belong to the phylum Cnidaria. [from 19th c.]

co-

Together: the root word is done co-incidently.

coacher

(intransitive, sports) To train.

coadjuteur

(ecclesiastical) An assistant to a bishop. [from 1549]

coagulat

A mass formed by means of coagulation.

coaguler

(transitive) To cause to clot or form into a mass.

coalescer

(of separate elements) To join into a single mass or whole.

coalition

A temporary group or union of organizations, usually formed for a particular advantage.

coassement

The call of a frog or toad.

coasser

(intransitive) To make a croak sound.

Cobain

A surname.

cobalt

A chemical element (symbol Co) with an atomic number of 27: a hard, lustrous, silver-gray metal.

cobra

Any of various venomous snakes of the genus Naja.

coca

The dried leaf of one of these plants, the South American shrub (Erythroxylum coca), widely cultivated in Andean countries, which is the source of cocaine and used as aphrodisiac in the past.

cocaïne

(uncountable, organic compound, pharmaceutical drug) An addictive drug derived from coca (Erythroxylum) or prepared synthetically, used sometimes medicinally as a local anesthetic and, often illegally, as a stimulant.

cocarde

A rosette or knot of ribbon worn in a hat, especially as an office or party badge.

cocardier

(pejorative) Of or pertaining to chauvinism or chauvinists.

cocasse

Using the techniques of comedy, as a composition, performer etc; amusing, entertaining. [from 16th c.]

cocatrix

(mythology) A legendary creature about the size and shape of a dragon or wyvern, but in appearance resembling a giant rooster, with some lizard-like characteristics.

Coccinelle

(UK, Australia, NZ) A small car, the Volkswagen Beetle (original version made 1938–2003, similar models made 1997–2010 and since 2011).

coccyx

(medical, formal) The final (bottom-most) fused vertebrae at the base of the spine, the tailbone.

coche

A damaged area of a surface where a small piece has been broken off.

cocher

(transitive, US, often used with "off") To mark items on a list (with a checkmark or by crossing them out) that have been chosen for keeping or removal or that have been dealt with (for example, completed or verified as correct or satisfactory).

cocheur

(birdwatching, slang) A birdwatcher who aims to see (and tick off on a list) as many bird species as possible.