Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
French
French
(frĕnch)
, p
rop.
Adj.
[AS. , and cf.
frencisc
, LL. franciscus
, from L. Francus
a Frank: cf. OF. franceis
, franchois
, françois
, F. français. See Frank
, Adj.
Frankish
.] Of or pertaining to France or its inhabitants.
French bean
(Bot.)
, the common kidney bean (
– Phaseolus vulgaris
). French berry
(Bot.)
, the berry of a species of buckthorn (
– Rhamnus catharticus
), which affords a saffron, green or purple pigment. French casement
(Arch.)
See
– French window
, under Window
. French chalk
(Min.)
, a variety of granular talc; – used for drawing lines on cloth, etc. See under
– Chalk
. French cowslip
(Bot.)
The
– Primula Auricula
. See Bear’s-ear
. French fake
(Naut.)
, a mode of coiling a rope by running it backward and forward in parallel bends, so that it may run freely.
– French honeysuckle
(Bot.)
a plant of the genus
– Hedysarum
(H. coronarium
); – called also garland honeysuckle
. French horn
, a metallic wind instrument, consisting of a long tube twisted into circular folds and gradually expanding from the mouthpiece to the end at which the sound issues; – called in France
– cor de chasse
. French leave
, an informal, hasty, or secret departure; esp., the leaving a place without paying one's debts.
– French pie
[
French
(here used in sense of “foreign”) + pie
a magpie (in allusion to its black and white color)] (Zool.)
, the European great spotted woodpecker (
– Dryobstes major
); – called also wood pie
. French polish
. (a)
A preparation for the surface of woodwork, consisting of gums dissolved in alcohol, either shellac alone, or shellac with other gums added.
(b)
The glossy surface produced by the application of the above.
– French purple
, a dyestuff obtained from lichens and used for coloring woolen and silken fabrics, without the aid of mordants.
Ure.
– French red
rouge.
– French rice
, amelcorn.
– French roof
(Arch.)
, a modified form of mansard roof having a nearly flat deck for the upper slope.
– French tub
, a dyer's mixture of protochloride of tin and logwood; – called also
plum tub
. Ure.
– French window
. See under
Window
.French
,p
rop.
Noun.
1.
The language spoken in France.
2.
Collectively, the people of France.
Webster 1828 Edition
French
FRENCH
,Adj.
French Chalk, scaly talc, a variety of indurated talc, in masses composed of small scales; its color is pearly white or grayish.
FRENCH
,Noun.
Definition 2024
French
French
See also: french
English
Proper noun
French
- A Romance language spoken primarily in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec, Valle d'Aosta and many former French colonies.
- 1997, Albert Valdman, French and Creole in Louisiana, page 29
- Almost three quarters of the population 65 and older reported speaking French.
- 2004, Jack Flam, Matisse and Picasso: The Story of Their Rivalry and Friendship, page 18
- Although he would spend the rest of his life in France, Picasso never mastered the language, and during those early years he was especially self-conscious about how bad his French was.
- 1997, Albert Valdman, French and Creole in Louisiana, page 29
- A surname.
Translations
Romance language spoken in France
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See also
- Wiktionary's coverage of French terms
- Appendix:French Swadesh list for a Swadesh list of basic vocabulary words in French
Noun
French
- (collective in the plural) People of France, collectively.
- The French and the English have often been at war.
- 2002, Jeremy Thornton, The French and Indian War, page 14
- On the way, scouts reported that some French were heading toward them across the ice.
- (informal) Vulgar language.
- Pardon my French.
Usage notes
When used to refer collectively to people of France, the word French is preceded by the definite article or some other determiner.
Derived terms
Translations
people of France, collectively
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vulgar language
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Adjective
French (comparative more French, superlative most French)
- Of or relating to France.
- the French border with Italy
- Of or relating to the people or culture of France.
- French customs
- Of or relating to the French language.
- French verbs
- (prostitute's slang) Oral sex, usually meaning fellatio, sometimes cunnilingus.[1]
References
- ↑ French, adj. and n. 3c. Oxford English Dictionary (subscription required). Retrieved: 2015-10-06.
Derived terms
Terms derived from the adjective French
Translations
of or relating to France
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of or relating to the French people
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of or relating to the French language
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Verb
French (third-person singular simple present Frenches, present participle Frenching, simple past and past participle Frenched)
- Alternative letter-case form of french
- 1995, Jack Womack, Random Acts of Senseless Violence, page 87:
- Even before I thought about what I was doing we Frenched and kissed with tongues.
- 1995, Jack Womack, Random Acts of Senseless Violence, page 87:
Alternative forms
Synonyms
Translations
kiss (a person) while inserting one’s tongue into his or her mouth
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kiss in this manner
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See also
Statistics
french
french
See also: French
English
Verb
french (third-person singular simple present frenches, present participle frenching, simple past and past participle frenched)
- (transitive) To prepare food by cutting it into strips.
- (transitive) To kiss (another person) while inserting one’s tongue into the other person's mouth.
- 1988, Wanda Coleman, A War of Eyes and other stories, page 151
- Tom frenched her full in the mouth.
- 1988, Wanda Coleman, A War of Eyes and other stories, page 151
- (intransitive) To kiss in this manner.
- 2003, Susan Steinberg, TheEend of Free Love, page 81
- We frenched by the wall.
- 2003, Susan Steinberg, TheEend of Free Love, page 81
Derived terms
Translations
prepare food by cutting it into strips
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