French–English dictionary

faisselle

A cheese curd product with a mild flavor that is drained but not pressed so some whey remains.

fait

(of food) Ready, fully cooked.

fait d'armes

(uncountable) Distinguished bravery or courage, especially in battle; heroism.

fait main

Made by hand; manufactured manually.

fait maison

(of produce) Raised or cultivated at home, on one's own land, or in one's own country; domestic; indigenous. [from 1640s]

fait saillant

(figurative) An especially significant or interesting detail or event or period of time.

fait sur mesure

Made or done in a way adjusted to the needs of a specific person or group (e.g., customer, health care patient, do-it-yourselfer), and thus specialized and, in some cases, unique.

faîte

The highest part of a hill.

faitivement

In an erroneous manner.

faits saillants

Summary of an event, such as a sporting event, focussing on the most entertaining or consequential aspects; compilation of each highlight of that event

fakir

(Hinduism, more, _, loosely) An ascetic mendicant, especially one who performs feats of endurance or apparent magic.

falafel

(uncountable) A Middle Eastern food in the form of balls made from chickpeas or broad beans and other ingredients, often served in a pita.

falafels

(uncountable) A Middle Eastern food in the form of balls made from chickpeas or broad beans and other ingredients, often served in a pita.

falaise

A high, steep bank, for example by a river or the sea, or beside a ravine or plain; a cliff with a broad face.

falbala

(zoology) The connected series of large egg capsules, or oothecae, of several species of American marine gastropods of the genus Fulgur.

fallacieusement

In a deceptive manner; misleadingly.

fallacieux

Characterized by fallacy; false or mistaken.

falsification

The act of falsifying, or making false; a counterfeiting; the giving to a thing an appearance of something which it is not.

falsifié

Not real; false, fraudulent.

falsifier

To create a forgery of; to make a counterfeit item of; to copy or imitate unlawfully.

famélique

Thin, malnourished, and weak.

fameux

Well known.

familial

Of or relating to activities normally associated with the home, wherever they actually occur.

familiariser

(ambitransitive) To make or become familiar with something or someone.

familier

(linguistics) Characteristic of familiar conversation, of common parlance; informal.

famille nucléaire

A family unit consisting of two parents (traditionally a mother and a father) and their children.

famine

(countable) A period of extreme shortage of food in a region.

fan

A person who is fond of something or someone, especially an admirer of a performer or aficionado of a sport.

fana

An enthusiast, or person who has an obsession with, or extreme knowledge of, something.

fanatique

Complete; having no opposite opinion of anything in a particular topic of one's values; thorough of in one's beliefs.

fanatique intolérant

One who is narrow-mindedly devoted to their own ideas and groups, and intolerant of (people of) differing ideas, races, genders, religions, politics, etc.

fanatique intolérante

One who is narrow-mindedly devoted to their own ideas and groups, and intolerant of (people of) differing ideas, races, genders, religions, politics, etc.

fanatisme

The characteristic or practice of being a fanatic.

fandango

(music, dance) A form of lively flamenco music and dance that has many regional variations (e.g. fandango de Huelva), some of which have their own names (e.g. malagueña, granadina). [from mid 18th c.]

fandangue

(music, dance) A form of lively flamenco music and dance that has many regional variations (e.g. fandango de Huelva), some of which have their own names (e.g. malagueña, granadina). [from mid 18th c.]

fané

Tending to droop; sagging; wilting.

faner

(intransitive) To grow weak; to lose strength; to decay; to perish gradually; to wither, as a plant.

fanfare

(music) A group of musicians who play brass instruments (sometimes accompanied by percussion).

fanfaron

Tending to boast or brag.

fanfaronnade

Empty boasting.

fanfaronner

(intransitive, often with of) To boast; to talk with excessive pride about what one has, is able to do, or has done; often as an attempt to popularize oneself.

fange

Deep mud; moist, spongy earth.

fangeux

Existing in or sunk to a low condition, position, or state; contemptible, despicable, miserable. [from early 15th c.]

fanion

A flag normally used by naval vessels to represent a special condition.

Fanny

A diminutive of the en given name Frances, itself also becoming a given name.

fanon

(physiology, uncountable) keratinous material that makes up the plates in the mouth of the baleen whale (Mysticeti), which it uses to trap its food; formerly used in corsetry.

fantaisie

(music, also, figurative) A form of instrumental composition with a free structure and improvisational characteristics; specifically, one combining a number of well-known musical pieces. [from early 18th c.]

fantaisiste

Oddly humorous; whimsical, amusing in a quaint way; waggish.

fantasmagorie

A fabrication, fantasy, invention; something fictitious.

fantasme

That which comes from one's imagination.

fantasmer

(intransitive) To indulge in fantasy; to imagine things only possible in fantasy.

fantassins

(uncountable) The part of an army consisting of infantry soldiers, especially opposed to mounted and technical troops.

fantastique

Extremely good; excellent, amazing. [from 19th c.]

fantasy

(literature) The literary genre generally dealing with themes of magic and the supernatural, imaginary worlds and creatures, etc.

fantoche

(by extension) Someone in a nominal position of leadership who has little to no actual power.

fantomatique

Of or pertaining to ghosts or spirits.

fantôme

A disembodied soul; a soul or spirit of a deceased person; a spirit appearing after death.

faon

A young deer.

FAQ

(internet) A list of questions said to be frequently asked, and their answers.

Far West

(US) The Western United States (sometimes excluding the West Coast), particularly (historical) in reference to the 19th century Wild West.

farce

The contents of a pie, etc.

farceur

A person who makes jokes.

farceuse

One who performs pranks.

farci

Full or packed (with some material or substance).

farcir

(transitive) To fill with food to satiety; to stuff.

fard

(uncountable, countable) A sort of makeup, frequently a powder, used to redden the cheeks.

fard à joues

(uncountable, countable) A sort of makeup, frequently a powder, used to redden the cheeks.

fardeau

A heavy load.

farewell

A farewell, a goodbye; especially a fond farewell, or a lasting or permanent farewell.

farfadet

(Germanic mythology) A supernatural being or spirit associated with illness, mischief, and harmful or dangerous magical influence; in later Norse sources, sometimes divided into benevolent light elves (inhabiting Álfheimr) and malevolent dark elves.

farfadet irlandais

(Irish folklore) One of a race of elves that can reveal hidden treasure to those who catch them.

farfelu

Resembling a farce; ludicrous; absurd.

farine

Powder obtained by grinding or milling cereal grains, especially wheat, or other foodstuffs such as soybeans and potatoes, and used to bake bread, cakes, and pastry.

farine de maïs

Dried corn (maize) milled (ground) to a meal, especially a coarse one.

fariner

(transitive) To apply flour to something; to cover with flour.

Fårö

A Baltic Sea island just north of the Swedish island of Gotland.

farouche

Full of ardor; expressing passion, spirit, or enthusiasm.

farouchement

In a fierce manner.

farthing

(historical) Former British unit of currency worth one-quarter of an old penny; or a coin representing this.

fasce

(heraldiccharge) A horizontal band across the middle of the shield.

fascié

Marked with bands of colour.

fascinant

Very beautiful or attractive.

fasciné

extremely interested

fasciner

(transitive) To completely engage the attention of; to involve.

fasciste

(historical) A member of the Nazi Party (the National Socialist German Workers' Party or NSDAP). [1930]

faséyer

(intransitive) To flap or wave quickly but irregularly.

faste

Of good omen; indicating future success.

fastidieux

Hard, difficult, demanding to handle or get around with.

fastoche

Requiring little skill or effort.

fastueusement

In a lavish manner, expending profusely.

Fatah

A major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

fatal

Causing death; lethal.

fatalité

Destiny, especially terrible.

fatberg

A large accumulation of fat and discarded toiletries which clogs sewers. [From the late 2000s.]

fatidique

Determined in advance by fate, fated.

fatigant

That tires or tire.

fatigue

(materials science) An increase in strain with time; the gradual flow or deformation of a material under stress.

fatiguer

(transitive) To tire or make weary by physical or mental exertion.

fatras

A collection containing a confused variety of miscellaneous things.

faubourg

An outlying part of a city or town, beyond the walls; a suburb, especially of Paris, New Orleans, Montreal, or Quebec City.

fauché

(Cockney rhyming slang) penniless

fauchée

(Cockney rhyming slang) penniless

faucher

(transitive, colloquial) To steal (something), typically an automobile; to rob (someone).

faucheuse

A person who cuts grass.

fauchon

(also, attributively) A somewhat curved, single-edged medieval sword of European origin, with the cutting edge on its convex side, whose design is reminiscent of the Persian scimitar and the Chinese dao.

faucille

(agriculture) An implement having a semicircular blade and short handle, used for cutting long grass and cereal crops.

faucon

Any bird of the genus Falco, all of which are birds of prey.

faucon émerillon

A small falcon, Falco columbarius, that breeds in northern North America, Europe, and Asia.

faucon merlin

A small falcon, Falco columbarius, that breeds in northern North America, Europe, and Asia.

fauconnier

A person who breeds or trains hawks or other birds of prey.

faufiler

(transitive) To sew with long or loose stitches, as for temporary use, or in preparation for gathering the fabric.

faune

(Roman mythology) A woodland creature with pointed ears, legs, and short horns of a goat and a fondness for unrestrained revelry.

faussaire

A person who creates forgeries, falsifies documents with intent to defraud, e.g. to create a false will or illicit copies of currency; counterfeiter.

fausse couche

(now, rare) The product of a miscarriage; an aborted offspring; an abortion. [First attested in the early 17th century.]

fausse piste

(figuratively) A clue, information, argument, etc. that is or is intended to be misleading, diverting attention from the real answer or issue.

faussement

In a false manner.

fausser

(transitive) To make a counterfeit, to counterfeit, to forge, to falsify.

fausset

(singing, uncountable) The "false" (singing) voice in any human, usually airy and lacking a purity of vowels; created by using the next highest vocal folds above those used for speech and normal range singing. It is commonly confused with the head voice register.

fausseté

(uncountable) The property of being false.

faute

(slang, with possessive determiner) Error; mistake.

faute de frappe

A typographical error. [from late 19th c.]

fauter

(intransitive) To make a big mistake, especially when it is careless or stupid. [from 1706]

fauteuil

A chair with supports for the arms or elbows.

fauteuil-sac

A piece of soft furniture consisting of a leather or vinyl covering stuffed with dry beans or other similar pellets.

fauteur de troubles

One who misbehaves.

fautif

Incorrect or untrue.

fauve

Any large felid animal, especially one of the Panthera genus, including tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards.

fauvette

Any of various small passerine songbirds, especially of the family Sylviidae (Old World warblers) and Parulidae (New World warblers).

faux

(idiomatic) Utterly incorrect; erroneous; uninformed.

faux bourdon

A male ant, bee, or wasp, which does not work but can fertilize the queen.

faux contact

(in the definite) Open or unobstructed space; an exposed location.

faux dévot

Making a show of being morally better than others, especially hypocritically pious.

faux frère

A traitor or hypocrite, such as a co-worker or friend assumed trustworthy but who figuratively attacks when one's back is turned.

faux jeton

A traitor or hypocrite, such as a co-worker or friend assumed trustworthy but who figuratively attacks when one's back is turned.

faux pas

A clumsy or embarrassing mistake.

faux témoignage

(uncountable, countable) Deceptive public statements.

faux-culterie

The practice of engaging in the same behaviour or activity for which one criticises another; moral self-contradiction whereby the behavior of one or more people belies their own claimed or implied possession of certain beliefs, standards or virtues.

faux-monnayeur

A person who counterfeits.

faux-nez

(informal) A person who assumes an identity or quality other than their own.

faux-palais

(orthodontics) A device worn on the teeth to straighten them.

faux-semblant

A fake; an imitation that purports to be genuine.

favela

A slum or shantytown, especially in Brazil.

favicon

(web design) An icon associated with a particular website, and typically displayed in the address bar of a browser viewing the site.

favicône

(web design) An icon associated with a particular website, and typically displayed in the address bar of a browser viewing the site.

favorable

Tending to contribute to, encourage, or bring about some result.

favori

(computing) A record of the address of a file or Internet page, serving as a shortcut to it.

favoris

Facial hair reaching from the top of the head down the side of the face to the side of the chin.

favoriser

(transitive) to provide (someone) with an advantage, to give an edge to [from 15th c.]

favoritisme

(originally, US, derogatory) Favouritism to friends without regard for their qualifications; especially (politics) , in their appointment to political positions.

fax

A fax, a machine for making and sending copies of printed material and images via radio or telephone network.