French–English dictionary

Alberta

A province in western Canada. Capital: Edmonton. Largest city: Calgary.

Albi

A town and commune, the prefecture of Tarn department, Occitania, in southern France.

Albin

A en given name.

albinos

Congenitally lacking melanin pigmentation in the skin, eyes, and hair or feathers (or more rarely only in the eyes); born with albinism.

Albion

(now, poetic) Great Britain (or sometimes just England or the British Isles).

albumen

The white part of an egg; being mostly the protein albumin and water.

Albuquerque

The largest city in New Mexico, United States; the county seat of Bernalillo County.

alburostre

(chiefly, US) An inexperienced person; a novice, beginner, or newcomer.

alcali

(chemistry) One of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, soda ash, caustic soda, potash, ammonia, and lithia, whose distinguishing characteristics are dissolving in alcohol and water, uniting with oils and fats to form soap, neutralizing and forming salts with acids, turning to brown several vegetable yellows, and changing reddened litmus to blue.

alcalin

Of, or relating to an alkali, one of a class of caustic bases.

alcalinité

(chemistry) The state of being, or the degree to which a thing is, alkaline.

alcane

(organic compound) Any acyclic saturated hydrocarbon (methane, ethane, etc.).

alcazar

Any Moorish fortress in Spain.

alchimique

(alchemy) Of or pertaining to the medieval chemical science and philosophy of alchemy.

alchimiste

One who practices alchemy.

alcool

(organic compound, countable) Any of a class of organic compounds (such as ethanol) containing a hydroxyl functional group (-OH).

alcool de bois

(organic compound) The simplest aliphatic alcohol, CH3OH; a colourless, toxic, inflammable liquid, used as a solvent, antifreeze, in the chemical industry, and in the preparation of methylated spirit.

alcool de contrebande

(math, uncountable) A branch of pure mathematics relating the Monster group to an invariant of elliptic functions.

alcoolique

Having more than a trace amount of alcohol in its contents.

alcoolisé

Having more than a trace amount of alcohol in its contents.

alcoolo

A habitual drinker, especially one who is frequently intoxicated.

alcootest

A device that measures alcohol in expired air so as to estimate the concentration of alcohol in a person's blood; used by traffic police in cases of suspected driving while under the influence of alcohol.

alcôve

(architecture) A small recessed area set off from a larger room.

ale

A beer produced by so-called warm fermentation and not pressurized.

aléatoire

Depending on the throw of a die; random, arising by chance.

alêne

A pointed instrument for piercing small holes, as in leather or wood; used by shoemakers, saddlers, cabinetmakers, etc. The blade is differently shaped and pointed for different uses, as in the brad awl, saddler's awl, shoemaker's awl, etc.

Alep

The capital city of Aleppo Governorate, Syria.

alerte

Attentive; awake; on guard.

alerter

(transitive) To make (someone) aware of impending danger, evil, etc. [from 11th c.]

alésage

A pit or hole which has been bored.

aléser

(transitive) To enlarge (a hole), especially using a reamer; to bore (a hole) wider.

alésoir

A tool for boring a hole wider.

Alexandra

A en given name.

Alexandre

A en given name, most famously held by Alexander the Great.

alexipharmaque

(pharmacology, chiefly, archaic, or, historical) Of or pertaining to an alexipharmac; also, acting as an alexipharmac by protecting against or warding off the ill effects of a harmful substance, especially a poison or venom; alexipharmic.

Alexis

A en given name.

alezan

A reddish-brown horse.

Alfred

A en given name.

algébriste

A mathematician who specializes in algebra.

Alger

The capital and largest city of Algeria.

Algérie

A country in North Africa. Official name: People's Democratic Republic of Algeria. Capital and largest city: Algiers. [from 1575]

algérien

Of, from, or pertaining to Algeria or the Algerian people.

algérienne

Of, from, or pertaining to Algeria or the Algerian people.

algide

(medicine) Cold, chilly; used of low body temperature, especially in connection with certain diseases such as malaria and cholera.

algorithmique

(mathematics, computing) Of, relating to, or being an algorithm.

algues

Any of numerous marine algae, such as a kelp.

Ali

A surname from Arabic.

Alice

A en given name popular in England since the Middle Ages.

alien

Any life form of extraterrestrial or extradimensional origin.

aliénant

(of a thing done) Overly repetitive and unchallenging, not requiring any careful attention or providing any significant stimulation.

aliéné

An insane person.

aliénée

An insane person.

aliéner

(transitive) To remove from an accustomed place or set of associations.

Aliénor

A en given name.

aligné

Having been placed, arranged or formed in alignment (with something).

aliment de base

A basic or essential supply.

aliment lacté pour nourrissons

(countable, uncountable) Ellipsis of infant formula, drink given to babies to substitute for mother's milk.

alimentaire

Of, or relating to food, nutrition or digestion.

alimentation

(uncountable) Food given to (especially herbivorous) non-human animals.

alimentation générale

(New Zealand) A corner store, superette or minimart.

alimenter

(transitive) To exacerbate, to cause to grow or become greater.

alinéa

(law) A subpart of a legal document such as law.

aliphatique

(organic chemistry) Of a class of organic compounds in which the carbon atoms are arranged in an open chain.

alisier

Any of various small deciduous trees or shrubs of genus Sorbus, belonging to the rose family, with pinnate leaves, corymbs of white flowers, and usually with orange-red berries.

alisier blanc

Any of various deciduous trees of the genus Sorbus subg. Aria (now Aria edulis), native to Eurasia, especially common whitebeam.

Alistair

A en given name.

alité

Confined to bed because of infirmity or illness.

Allah

(Islam) God, in Islamic or Arabic contexts

allaitement

(countable) An instance (session) of such feeding activity.

allaiter

(transitive, intransitive) To feed (a baby) milk via the breasts; to suckle; to nurse.

alléchant

That is pleasing to the sense of taste; appetizing; that makes one salivate.

allée

A clear path/passage through rows of seating.

allégation

An assertion, especially an accusation, not necessarily based on facts.

allégé

Light in composition, notably low in fat, calories etc. Most commonly used commercially.

allégeance

Loyalty to some cause, nation or ruler.

alléger

(transitive) To reduce or lessen the severity of a pain or difficulty.

allégorie

(internet, video games) A complex and dynamic digital representation of a person or being in the form of a digital model, used online as a simulation or emulation of a person, or as a person's online alter ego, in a virtual world, virtual chat room, or metaverse.

allègre

(chiefly, Scotland, elsewhere, _, dated, or, literary) Cheerful, happy.

allégresse

An exhilarating psychological state of pride and optimism.

allegro

(music) played in a quick, lively tempo

alléguer

(transitive) To make a claim as justification or proof; to make an assertion without proof.

alléluia

A liturgical form of hallelujah.

Allemagne

A country in Central Europe, formed in 1949 as West Germany, with its provisional capital Bonn until 1990, when it incorporated East Germany. Official name: Federal Republic of Germany. Capital and largest city: Berlin.

allemand

Of or relating to the natives or inhabitants of Germany; to people of German descent; to their cultures.

Allemande

(countable) A native or inhabitant of Germany; a person of German citizenship or nationality.

aller

(idiomatic, with infinitive verb) Indicates something that will happen very soon; indicates action that is imminent; ready to; went to

aller à vélo

(intransitive) To travel by bike.

aller au bordel

(intransitive, archaic, now, humorous) To frequent prostitutes; to whore; also, to womanize.

aller au diable

(idiomatic, slang, offensive) An expression of discontent or aggravation to another party.

aller au trot

(intransitive, of a horse) To move at a gait between a walk and a canter.

aller bien

In good health or a good emotional state.

aller bon train

Quickly, rapidly, with speed.

aller chier dans sa caisse

(idiomatic, slang, offensive) An expression of discontent or aggravation to another party.

aller en avant

(nautical) At, near, or towards the bow of a vessel (with the frame of reference within the vessel).

aller en roue libre

(intransitive) To glide along without adding energy; to allow a vehicle to continue moving forward after disengaging the engine or ceasing to apply motive power.

aller en vacances

(intransitive) To spend or take a vacation.

aller le trot

(intransitive, of a horse) To move at a gait between a walk and a canter.

aller sur le pré

(transitive, obsolete) To meet or encounter face to face.

aller-retour

From one place to another and back again.

allez

Synonym of let's go, a cheer or expression of support, encouragement, &c.

alliage

A metal that is a combination of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal, a base metal.

alliance

An alliance of factions.

allié

Joined as allies.

alliée

A person, group, state, etc., which is associated or united by treaty with another for a common (especially military or political) purpose; a confederate.

allier

To unite or form a connection between (people or things), as between families by marriage, or between states by confederacy, league, or treaty.

alligator

Either of two species of large amphibious reptile, Alligator mississippiensis or Alligator sinensis, in the genus Alligator within order Crocodilia, which have sharp teeth and very strong jaws and are native to the Americas and China, respectively.

allitération

The repetition of consonant sounds or letters at the beginning of two or more words immediately succeeding each other, or at short intervals; such repetition specifically involving stressed syllables.

allô

A greeting used when answering the telephone.

allocation

The process or procedure for allocating things, especially money or other resources.

allographe

A variant form of a letter (or other grapheme).

allongé

Elongated, extended, lengthened; (especially, biology) having a long and slender form.

allonger

To make (something) long or longer, for example, by pulling or stretching; to make (something) elongated; to extend, to lengthen.

allouchier

Any of various deciduous trees of the genus Sorbus subg. Aria (now Aria edulis), native to Eurasia, especially common whitebeam.

allouer

To designate or set aside (someone or something) for a particular purpose; to allocate.

alluder

(intransitive) To refer to something indirectly or by suggestion; to invoke it by implication rather than mention.

allumage

(automotive, mechanical engineering) A system for activating combustion in a combustion engine.

allumé

(informal) An amusing or entertaining person, often slightly eccentric.

allumer

(transitive, idiomatic) To talk to (someone) in a friendly, open, or casual manner, sometimes also in a charming or affected manner, usually to curry favor, and sometimes flirtatiously with the intention of establishing a romantic or sexual encounter or relationship with that person.

allumette

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

allumettier

Someone who makes matchsticks.

allumettière

Someone who makes matchsticks.

allumeur

(slang, vulgar) A person, usually a man, who teases a woman with a promise (either implicit or explicit) of sexual fulfillment but does not deliver on it.

allumeuse

(slang, vulgar, chiefly, derogatory) A person, usually a woman, who teases a man but then withdraws an implied promise of sexual intercourse.

allure

(horses) One of the different ways in which a horse can move, either naturally or as a result of training.

allusion

An indirect reference; a hint; a reference to something supposed to be known, but not explicitly mentioned.

alluvion

soil, clay, silt or gravel deposited by flowing water, as it slows, in a river bed, delta, estuary or flood plain

allyle

(organic chemistry, especially in combination) The univalent radical, CH2=CH-CH2-, existing especially in oils of garlic and mustard.

alma mater

A school, college, or university which a person has graduated from or attended.

almanach

(astronomy, navigation) A book or table listing nautical, astronomical, astrological or other events for the year; sometimes, but not essentially, containing historical and statistical information.

almée

An Egyptian female singer or dancing-girl used for entertainment; sometimes a prostitute. [from 18th c.]

aloi

The ratio, in a precious metal, of the primary metal to any additives or impurities.

Aloïs

A en given name, notably of a 16th-century Italian saint.

alors

Used to fill space or pauses.

alors même que

Although; though; despite or in spite of the fact that.

alors que

To such an extent or degree; to the same extent or degree.

alose

A herring-like fish (Alosa alosa), of the eastern Atlantic that migrates to fresh water to spawn.

alouette

(humorous) Used at the end of a list of items to emphasize its length. [from 20th c.]

alouette des champs

A small brown passerine bird, Alauda arvensis, that sings as it flies high into the air.

alourdi

Weighed down with a load, burdened.

alourdir

(transitive) To act as a ballast for.

ALP

(internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of talk to you later.

alpaga

A sheep-like domesticated animal of the Andes, Vicugna pacos, in the camel family, closely related to the llama, guanaco, and vicuña.

Alpes

A mountain range in Western Europe, running from France to Slovenia, the highest peak of which is Mont Blanc, at 4808 metres.

alpha

The name of the first letter of the Greek alphabet (Α, α), followed by beta. In the Latin alphabet it is the predecessor to A.

alphabète

Able to read and write; having literacy.

alphabétique

According to the sequence of the letters of the alphabet.

alphabétisme

(uncountable) Discrimination on the basis of the first letter of a name.

alphanumérique

Consisting of, or limited to, letters and/or numbers, especially the characters A to Z (lowercase and uppercase) and 0 to 9.

Alphonse

A en given name.

alpin

Relating to the Alps, a mountain range in Western and Central Europe.