French–English dictionary

école d'art dramatique

A music school or a drama school

école de musique

(music) A music academy.

école de pensée

An abstract structure, such as a school of thought, an argument, a theoretical position, etc.

école de théâtre

A music school or a drama school

école maternelle

(North America, Australia, India) An educational institution for young children, usually between ages 4 and 6; nursery school. [from 1852]

école supérieure de musique

(music) A music academy.

écolier

A boy attending school.

écolière

A young person attending school or of an age to attend school.

écologie

(biology) The branch of biology dealing with the relationships of organisms with their environment and with each other.

écologique

Relating to ecology, the interrelationships of organisms and their environment.

écologiste

A person who maintains natural areas or protects threatened species.

économe

Careful with money so as not to spend too much; prudent; thrifty.

économie

(social sciences) The study of resource allocation, distribution and consumption; of capital and investment; and of management of the factors of production.

économique

Saving money or resources.

économiser

(intransitive) To practice being economical (by using things sparingly or in moderation, and by avoiding waste or extravagance).

économiste

An expert in economics, especially one who studies economic data and extracts higher-level information or proposes theories.

écope

A bucket or scoop used for removing water from a boat etc.

écoper

To set free; to deliver; to release.

écoquiller

To take off the shell or coat of.

écorce

(countable, uncountable) The exterior covering of the trunk and branches of a tree.

écorcer

To strip the bark from; to peel.

écorcher

To strip the skin off; to skin.

écorcheur

One who or that which flays.

écorcheuse

Someone who skins animals.

Écossais

A person born in or native to Scotland.

Écossaise

A person born in or native to Scotland.

Écosse

A constituent country of the United Kingdom, located in northwest Europe to the north of England.

écosser

To remove the outer covering of a fruit or seed.

écosystème

A system formed by an ecological community and its environment that functions as a unit.

écotone

A transition area between two adjacent ecological communities (ecosystems).

écoulement

(math) A formalization of the idea of the motion of particles in a fluid, as a group action of the real numbers on a set.

écouler

To cause to be drawn; to mark out; to indicate; to determine.

écourgée

(weaponry, chiefly, historical) A whip, often made of leather and having multiple tails; a lash.

écourter

(transitive, obsolete) To cut short the tail of (an animal).

écoute

(slang, US, horse-racing) An asterisk denoting an apprentice jockey's weight allowance.

écoute clandestine

(telecommunication) The interception of electronic communication.

écoute en rafale

To watch multiple episodes of a television programme in a short period of time.

écouter

(intransitive, _, except in archaic usage) To use one's sense of hearing and auditory cognition in an intentional way; to make deliberate use of one's ears; to pay attention to or wait for a specific sound.

écouteur

A small earphone designed to be placed in the ear canal for use with portable sound systems.

écouteurs

A pair of small loudspeakers worn inside each outer ear or covering all or part of the ear, without a connecting band worn over head.

écouteuse

Someone who listens, especially to a speech or a broadcast.

écoutez

Pay attention.

écoutille

An opening in a wall at window height for the purpose of serving food or other items. A pass through.

écouvillon

(medicine) A small piece of soft, absorbent material, such as gauze, used to clean wounds, apply medicine, or take samples of body fluids. Often attached to a stick or wire to aid access.

écrabouiller

To press between two hard objects; to squeeze so as to alter the natural shape or integrity, or to force together into a mass.

écran

(computing) An electronic screen that shows graphics or text.

écran bleu

(computing) Ellipsis of blue screen of death.

écran de fumée

Smoke used as a disguise, mask or cover, as of troops in battle.

écran solaire

A topical substance formulated to protect the skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation by absorbing, reflecting or scattering ultraviolet rays.

écrasant

That crushes; overwhelming.

écrasé

(figuratively) Oppressed, persecuted or subjugated.

écrase-merde

A strong shoe for heavy-duty use, a boot.

écrasement

An automobile, airplane, or other vehicle accident.

écraser

(transitive, computing, slang) To overwrite (data) or override (an assignment of a value), often unintentionally or unexpectedly.

écrémé

(of milk) Having lowered fat content.

écrémer

(transitive) To scrape off; to remove (something) from a surface

écrevisse

Any of numerous freshwater decapod crustaceans in superfamily Astacoidea or Parastacoidea, resembling the related lobster but usually much smaller.

écrille

A fence placed across a river to catch fish.

écrin

A piece of luggage that can be used to transport an apparatus such as a sewing machine.

écrire

(chiefly, US, sometimes, proscribed) To create a work as its author.

écrire à

To impress durably; to imprint; to engrave.

écrit

An original or official paper used as the basis, proof, or support of anything else, including any writing, book, or other instrument conveying information pertinent to such proof or support.

écriture

The characteristic writing of a particular person.

écrivaillon

(pejorative, authorship) An untalented writer.

écrivain

A person who writes, or produces literary work; an author can refer to themselves as "the writer".

écrivain fantôme

A professional writer who is paid to write material that is officially credited to another person; one who writes on behalf of someone else, often for a celebrity.

écrivain public

A professional writer; one whose occupation is to draw contracts or prepare writings.

écrivaine

(dated) A female author.

écroulement

An unsteady movement or gait.

ecstasy

(slang) The drug MDMA, a synthetic entactogen of the methylenedioxyphenethylamine family, especially in a tablet form.

écu

(historical) The European Currency Unit (symbol ₠), a currency used in the European Community before the euro.

écueil

(figurative) A potential, unsuspected, hidden problem, hazard, or danger that is easily encountered but not immediately obvious.

éculé

Repeated too often.

écume

Residue that forms as a scum on the surface of molten metal from oxidation.

écumer

(intransitive) To form or emit foam.

écureuil

Any of the rodents of the family Sciuridae.

écureuille

Any of the rodents of the family Sciuridae.

écurie

(automotive) A company which, or individual who, builds racing vehicles. In Formula One, constructor status is strictly defined by the rules, but in other motorsports the term is merely a descriptor. Depending on the racing rules, some constructors (e.g. Cosworth) may provide vehicles to racing teams who are not themselves constructors, while others are both teams and constructors (Ducati Corse, Scuderia Ferrari).

écuyer

An officer responsible for the care and supervision of the horses of a person of rank.

eczéma

(biology, medicine) A non-contagious acute or chronic inflammation of the skin, characterized by redness, itching, and the outbreak of oozing vesicular lesions which become encrusted and scaly.

edelweiss

A European perennial alpine plant (Leontopodium alpinum), with downy leaves and small white flower heads in a dense cluster.

Éden

(biblical) A garden built by God as the home for Adam and Eve; sometimes identified as part of Mesopotamia.

Edgar

A en given name.

édification

The process of constructing.

édifice

(uncountable) The act or process by which something is built; construction.

édifier

(transitive) To form (something) by combining materials or parts.

édit

A proclamation of law or other authoritative command.

éditer

To change a text, or a document.

éditeur

(transitive) To be the editor of a publication.

éditeur de liens

(compilation) A computer program that takes one or more objects generated by compilers and assembles them into a single executable program.

Édith

A en given name.

édition

The whole number of copies of a work printed and published at one time.

éditorial

Of or relating to an editor, editing or an editorial.

éditrice

(transitive) To be the editor of a publication.

Edmond

A en given name, borne by early English kings and saints.

Edmonton

The capital city of Alberta, Canada.

Edo

(historical) The former name of Tokyo, the capital city of Japan.

Édom

(biblical) The name given to Esau in the Hebrew Bible.

Édouard

A en given name.

édouardien

Of the period in British history from circa 1901 to 1910, when Edward VII ruled the British Empire.

édredon

A bed covering consisting of two layers of fabric stitched together, with insulation between, often having a decorative design.

éducateur

A person distinguished for their educational work, a teacher.

éducatif

Of, or relating to education.

éducation

(uncountable) The process of imparting knowledge, skill and judgment.

éducation civique

The study of good citizenship and proper membership in a community.

éducatrice

A person distinguished for their educational work, a teacher.

édulcorant

A food additive that replicates the sweetness of sugar but is not sugar.

édulcorer

(rare) To sweeten.

éduquer

(transitive) To instruct or train.

éduquer quelqu'un

raising someone to be an accepted member of the community.

Edwige

A en given name.

ée

Added to transitive verbs to form words meaning a person or thing that is the object of that verb (i.e., to whom or to which an action is done).

efendi

An educated or well-respected man in an eastern Mediterranean or Arab country; often used as a title of respect or courtesy in Turkey or a former Ottoman territory.

efface

(North America, Philippines) An object used to erase or remove something written or drawn by a pen or a pencil.

effacer

(transitive) To make void; to erase.

effaceur

(North America, Philippines) An object used to erase or remove something written or drawn by a pen or a pencil.

effaré

Terrified; struck with amazement; showing signs of terror or horror.

effarouché

Surprised and slightly frightened.

effe

The name of the Latin-script letter F/f.

effectif

Existing in reality, not just potentially; really acted or acting; occurring in fact. [from 14th c.]

effectivement

(modal) In act or in fact; really; in truth; positively.

effectuer

(transitive) To accomplish, to achieve.

efféminé

(often, derogatory, of a man or boy) Exhibiting behaviour or mannerisms considered typical of a woman; unmasculine.

efféminée

(often, derogatory, of a man or boy) Exhibiting behaviour or mannerisms considered typical of a woman; unmasculine.

effendi

An educated or well-respected man in an eastern Mediterranean or Arab country; often used as a title of respect or courtesy in Turkey or a former Ottoman territory.

efférent

Carrying away from.

effervescent

(of a liquid) Giving off bubbles; fizzy.

effet

That which results; the conclusion or end to which any course or condition of things leads, or which is obtained by any process or operation; consequence or effect.

effet de levier

(finance) The use of borrowed funds with a contractually determined return to increase the ability to invest and earn an expected higher return, but usually at high risk.

effet de masque

The effect of being shadowed (in the sense of blocked), as from a light source or radio transmission.

effet Larsen

(amplification) The high-pitched howling noise heard when there is a loop between a microphone and a speaker.

effets

(usually, in the plural) Belongings, usually as personal effects.

effeuillage

The act of slowly taking off one's clothes to sexually arouse the viewer, often accompanied by music and in exchange for money.

effeuillé

(heraldry, of a, tree, bush, etc) Whose branches bear no leaves; leafless.

efficace

Having the power to produce a required effect or effects.

efficacement

In an efficient or effective manner; with powerful effect.

efficacité

The property of being effective, of achieving results.

efficience

A degree of ability to produce a desired effect; effectiveness.

efficient

Making good, thorough, or careful use of resources; not consuming extra. Especially, making good use of time or energy.

effilage

A cone-shaped item for stretching the hole for an ear gauge (piercing).

effiler

Of threads: to become separated from something knitted or woven, such as clothing or fabric; also, of something knitted or woven: to separate into threads; to come apart.

effilocher

(also, figuratively) To rub or wear away (something); to cause (something made of strands twisted or woven together, such as cloth or rope) to unravel through friction; also, to irritate (something) through chafing or rubbing; to chafe.

effleurer

(ambitransitive) To touch with a sweeping motion, or lightly in passing.

effleurir

Of a salt: to seep through some material (bricks, concrete, earth, rock, etc.) in a dissolved state, and then crystallize on a surface in a powdery form.

efflorescence

(uncountable) The opening of flowers in general; the state of blossoming or of having the flowers open.

effluve

An odour (usually unpleasant) carried briefly through the air.

effondrement

The act of collapsing.

effort

The work involved in performing an activity; exertion.

effrayant

Causing mild fear.

effrayé

Impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear.