French–English dictionary

épinard

A particular edible plant, Spinacia oleracea, or its leaves.

épinards

A particular edible plant, Spinacia oleracea, or its leaves.

épine

A small, sharp pointed object similar to the true prickle, such as a thorn.

épine dorsale

(countable) The series of vertebrae, separated by disks, that encloses and protects the spinal cord, and runs down the middle of the back in vertebrate animals.

épinéphrine

(hormone, neurotransmitter, organic compound, medicine) A catecholamine hormone and neurotransmitter; as a hormone, secreted by the adrenal gland in response to stress (when it stimulates the autonomic nervous system); as a neurotransmitter, synthesized from norepinephrine. It is also used as a medication.

épinette

(musical instruments) A short, compact harpsichord or piano.

épineux

Covered with sharp points.

épingle

A pin or fastener for the hair.

épingle à cheveux

A pin or fastener for the hair.

épingler

(transitive) To affix or pin.

épinglette

(US) A simple accessory that can be attached to clothing with a pin or fastener, often round and bearing a design, logo or message, and used for decoration, identification or to show political affiliation, etc.

épinglier

The part of a spinning machine that twists the thread as it takes it to and winds it on the bobbin

Épiphanie

(historical) The ancient city of Hama.

épiscopat

The office or function of a bishop.

épisode

One of a series of parts, whether equal or unequal to the other parts of the series, of a given entity or a given process, which part presents or is presented at a particular scheduled interval.

épistolaire

(uncommon) Consisting of, or expressed by, letters (of an alphabet); using literation.

épithète

(grammar) A word that qualifies a noun.

épitomé

The embodiment or encapsulation of a class of items.

épitrachelion

(Eastern Orthodoxy) The liturgical vestment worn by priests and bishops of the Eastern Orthodox Church as the symbol of their priesthood, corresponding to the Western stole.

éploré

Sorrowful.

éplucher

(transitive) To remove the outer covering or skin of something with a cutting device, typically a knife.

épluchoir

A household utensil for peeling fruit or vegetables.

épluchure

(usually, uncountable) The skin or outer layer of a fruit, vegetable, etc.

éponge

(uncountable) An absorbent material used to hold a liquid.

éponger

(transitive) To suck up; to drink in; to imbibe, like a sponge or as the lacteals of the body; to chemically take in. [first attested in the early 17th century.]

épopée

An extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the feats of a deity, demigod (heroic epic), other legend or traditional hero.

époque

(countable) A particular period of time in history, as distinguished from others.

épouiller

To remove lice from.

épouse

(archaic, literary, or, humorous) A wife or woman.

épouser

(transitive) To marry.

épousseter

(intransitive) To remove dust; to clean by removing dust.

époustouflant

stunningly beautiful; amazing

époustoufler

(idiomatic) To astonish someone; to flabbergast someone.

épouvantable

(figurative) Extremely bad; terrible.

épouvante

A state of terror excited by the sudden appearance of danger; sudden and violent fear, usually of short duration; a sudden alarm.

époux

A man in the context of his own wedding; one who is going to marry or has just been married.

épreuve

A difficult task, especially one that the person making the attempt finds more enjoyable because of that difficulty.

épreuve de tournage

(cinematography) Unedited footage; film material as recorded to tape etc.

épreuve du feu

(figuratively) A rigorous test or appraisal of the quality or worth of something.

épris

(obsolete) To have a foolish affection for, to be fond of.

éprouvant

Difficult, hard to do.

éprouvé

(figurative) Beset by trouble or difficulty.

éprouver

(transitive) To observe certain events; undergo a certain feeling or process; or perform certain actions that may alter one or contribute to one's knowledge, opinions, or skills.

epsilon

The fifth letter of the Greek alphabet, ε or Ε, preceded by delta (Δ, δ) and followed by zeta (Ζ, ζ).

épuisant

Very tiring.

épuisé

(US, _, slang) Exhausted.

épuisement

The point of complete depletion, of the state of being used up.

épuiser

(intransitive) To expire; to come to an end.

équanime

Calm and composed; of stable disposition.

équanimité

The state of being calm, stable and composed, especially under stress.

équarrisseur

One who dismantles old ships, houses, etc. and sells their components.

Équateur

A country in South America. Official name: Republic of Ecuador. Capital: Quito.

équatorial

(geography) Of, near, or relating to the equator.

équatoriale

(geography) Of, near, or relating to the equator.

équerre

(UK) A flat triangular piece of plastic or other material, having corners of precise angles, used in technical drawing

équestre

Of horseback riding or horseback riders.

équeuter

To remove the stem from.

équidé

(dated, slang, among students) A translation or other illegitimate aid in study or examination.

équilibre

(uncountable) Apparent harmony in art (between differing colours, sounds, etc.).

équilibrer

(transitive) To bring (items) to an equipoise, as the scales of a balance by adjusting the weights.

équin

Of or relating to a horse or horses.

équinoxe

One of two times in the year (one in March and the other in September) when the length of the day and the night are equal, which occurs when the sun is directly overhead at the equator; this marks the beginning of spring in one hemisphere and autumn in the other.

équinoxial

(astronomy) Of or relating to the spring or autumnal equinox.

équipage

A group of people (often staff) manning and operating a large facility or piece of equipment such as a factory, ship, boat, airplane, or spacecraft.

équipe

A group of people (often staff) manning and operating a large facility or piece of equipment such as a factory, ship, boat, airplane, or spacecraft.

équipement

(cartography) A unit pertaining to the infrastructure of a community, such as a public toilet, a postbox, a library, etc.

équipier

(cycle racing) A cyclist on a cycle racing team whose role is to assist the team's designated leaders (for example, by riding in front of them to create a slipstream, or to set the pace), even if at the expense of their own individual performance.

équipière

(cycle racing) A cyclist on a cycle racing team whose role is to assist the team's designated leaders (for example, by riding in front of them to create a slipstream, or to set the pace), even if at the expense of their own individual performance.

équitable

Fair and having no partiality; unbiased; just.

équitablement

In a fair manner of distribution, giving the same amount or number to each; equally.

équité

The ideal of fairness, impartiality, etc., especially with regard to the punishment of wrongdoing.

équivalent

Anything that is virtually equal to something else, or has the same value, force, etc.

équivocité

(logic) A logical fallacy resulting from the use of multiple meanings of a single expression.

équivoque

A phrase that has two meanings, especially where one is innocent and literal, the other risqué, bawdy, or ironic; an innuendo.

érable

A tree of the genus Acer, characterised by its usually palmate leaves and winged seeds.

éradicateur

A person who, or thing that eradicates.

éradication

The act of plucking up by the roots; an uprooting or rooting out; extirpation; utter destruction.

éradiquer

(transitive) To destroy completely; to reduce to nothing radically; to put an end to.

éraflage

The removal of stalks from bunches of grapes prior to winemaking.

érafler

(transitive) To remove the stem from (grapes, tobacco, etc.).

éraflure

The act of grazing; a scratching or injuring lightly on passing.

Érasme

Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (known as Erasmus or Erasmus of Rotterdam), a Dutch humanist and theologian.

Érasme de Rotterdam

Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (known as Erasmus or Erasmus of Rotterdam), a Dutch humanist and theologian.

ère

(countable, poker) The entitlement of the player to the left of the dealer to pass the first round in betting, and then to come in last or stay out; also, the player holding this position; the eldest hand.

érectile

(biology, medicine, of tissue) Capable of filling with blood and becoming rigid.

érection

(uncountable, physiology, of a penis or clitoris) The state or quality of being erect from engorgement with blood.

éreintant

(figuratively) Of work, very physically tiring.

éreinté

(UK, Irish, Commonwealth, slang, sometimes, offensive) Tired or exhausted.

éreinter quelque chose

(figurative, by extension) A vigorous verbal or physical assault.

érème

(archaic, inherently emic) All parts of the world that are either uncivilized or uninhabited.

ergol

fuel, oxidizer, reaction mass or mixture for one or more engines (especially internal combustion engines or jet engines) that is carried within a vehicle prior to use

ergonomie

The science of the design of equipment, especially so as to reduce operator fatigue, discomfort and injury. [from c. 1950.]

ergonomique

Of or relating to the science of ergonomics.

ergotage

(figuratively, by extension) A process of finding or pointing out tiny details or errors, particularly if the pointed-out details seem insignificant or irrelevant to all but the finder.

ergoter

(informal, intransitive) To complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner.

Éric

A en given name.

Érica

A en given name.

éricacée

Various species of the genus Erica.

Érié

Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes of North America.

érigé

Upright; vertical or reaching broadly upwards.

ériger

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

Érika

A en given name.

ermétique à

Suffix added to a noun to form an adjective denoting imperviousness to that noun.

ermitane

A religious recluse; someone who lives alone for religious reasons; an eremite.

ermite

A religious recluse; someone who lives alone for religious reasons; an eremite.

Ernest

A en given name; popular in the 19th century.

Ernestine

A en given name.

éroder

(transitive) To consume; to wear away; to prey upon; to impair.

érogène

Sensitive to sexual arousal.

érosion

(geology) A part of a formation separated from the rest of the formation by erosion.

érotique

Relating to or tending to arouse sexual desire or excitement.

érotisme

(uncountable) Erotic literature, art, decoration, or other such work.

errance

(obsolete, rare) The action of hurriedly moving hither and thither.

errant

Straying from the proper course or standard, or outside established limits.

erratique

Unsteady, random; prone to unexpected changes; not consistent.

erre

Used to form the name of a territory, country, or region.

errement

Travelling without preset route; roaming.

errer

(intransitive) To move haphazardly without any destination.

erreur

A temporary failure; a slip.

erroné

(idiomatic) Utterly incorrect; erroneous; uninformed.

erronément

In an erroneous manner.

ersatz

Something made in imitation; an effigy or substitute.

érudit

Learned, scholarly, with emphasis on knowledge gained from books.

érudition

Profound knowledge acquired from learning and scholarship.

éruption

An eruption; the sudden appearance of a rash, disease, etc.

éruption cutanée

(dermatology, symptom) An area of inflamed and irritated skin characterized by reddened spots that may be filled with fluid or pus. Also, preceded by a descriptive word (rare, or, obsolete) , an illness characterized by a type of rash.

érythème

Abnormal redness and inflammation of the skin, due to vasodilation.

érythrite

(mineral) Red cobalt, a secondary hydrated arsenate of cobalt minerals with the formula (Co3(AsO4)2·8H2O).

es

(archaic, dialectal) Used to form the second-person singular present tense and past tense of verbs. (if thou is the subject; not used with you)

esbroufe

An act of puffing.

escadre

(military, navy) A detachment of vessels employed on any particular service or station, under the command of the senior officer

escadrille

An air force unit.

escadron

A unit of tactical military personnel, or of police officers, usually of about ten members.

escalade

(uncountable) The sport of climbing, ascending a wall or a rock or another object using available holds, generally with the safety of a rope and belayer.

escalader

(transitive) To mount; to move upwards on.

escalateur

A motor-driven mechanical device consisting of a continuous loop of steps that automatically conveys people from one floor to another.

escalator

A motor-driven mechanical device consisting of a continuous loop of steps that automatically conveys people from one floor to another.

escale

(North America, Australia) A break between stages of a journey.

escalier

A series of steps; a staircase.

escalier mécanique

A motor-driven mechanical device consisting of a continuous loop of steps that automatically conveys people from one floor to another.

escapade

A daring or adventurous act; an undertaking which goes against convention.

escargot

(uncountable) A dish, commonly associated with French cuisine, consisting of edible snails.

escargot de Bourgogne

(uncountable) A dish, commonly associated with French cuisine, consisting of edible snails.

escarmouche

A skirmish, a hostile encounter.

escarmoucher

To engage in a minor battle or dispute.

escarpé

Characterized by rugged, sharp, or coarse features.

escarpement

A steep descent or declivity; steep face or edge of a ridge; ground about a fortified place, cut away nearly vertically to prevent hostile approach.

escarre

(medicine, usually, in the plural, dated) A lesion caused by unrelieved pressure to any part of the body, especially portions over bony or cartilaginous areas, such as frequently develops on a person confined to a bed by infirmity.

esclandre

An incident or event that disgraces or damages the reputation of the persons or organization involved.

esclavage

The state of being enslaved or the practice of slavery.