English

Noun

amorce ‎(plural amorces)

1. A hint about the future; an instance of foreshadowing.
   • 1989, Roy Jenkins, European Diary: 1977-1981, page 225:

     The anti-Americanism — or anti-Carterism, because Schmidt is basically pro-American — was in a way worrying, although if the dollar crisis is such an amorce for economic and monetary union, I am prepared, up to a point, to go along with it.

   • 1994, Irène Assiba d' Almeida, Francophone African Women Writers, ISBN 081301302X, page 103:

     The word mourning is such an amorce, which prefigures the novel's denouement and also suggests that Jean's rejection of their daughter is tantamount to "killing" her.

   • 2012, Alice Bennett, Afterlife and Narrative in Contemporary Fiction, ISBN 0230364241, page 93:

     Penelope's reference to her future awareness of this grave mistake is half proleptic and half what Genette terms an amorce: the establishment of anticipation for the development of the plot through hints about future events.

2. A percussion cap or detonator.
   • 1912, Great Britain Home Office, Explosives Act, 1875, page 12:

     In March Messrs. Philip Morris & Co., Ltd., imported without a licence a consignment of 500 imitation cigarette cases, each containing a roll of amorces arranged in such a manner that an amorce was fired each time the case was opened, and the goods were placed under dentention by the Customs.

   • 1918, Jules Verne, The Mysterious Island:

     Cyrus Harding would certainly have been able to fabricate an amorce. In default of fulminate, he could easily obtain a substance similar to gun-cotton, since he had azotic acid at his disposal.

   • 2002, Gerard Woodward, August, ISBN 0099286920, page 37:

     In her hand she'd held a silver pistol which she'd pointed at Aldous's head and fired five times, five sharp cracks and some blue smoke from the amorces smelling of fireworks.

French

Etymology

Corruption of Old French amorse, form of amordre, a compound of mordre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.mɔʁs/

Noun

amorce f ‎(plural amorces)

1. bait (used to catch fish)
2. primer (substance used to start a fire)
3. (figuratively) bait
4. (biology) primer (strand)

Verb

amorce

1. first-person singular present indicative of amorcer
2. third-person singular present indicative of amorcer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of amorcer
4. first-person singular present subjunctive of amorcer
5. second-person singular imperative of amorcer