French

proper nounnounadjectiveverbcommon in dialogue

//fɹɛnt͡ʃ//
//fɹɪ̟nt͡ʃ//

The language of France, shared by the neighboring countries Belgium, Monaco, and Switzerland and by former French colonies around the world.

proper noun

1
The language of France, shared by the neighboring countries Belgium, Monaco, and Switzerland and by former French colonies around the world.
She speaks French.
Ne mowe we alle Latin wite... Ne French...
I... wolde also be bolde in such french as is peculiare to the lawys of this realme, to leue it wyth them in wrytynge to.
I could speak but little French.
2
The ability of a person to communicate in French.
My French is a little rusty.
[Racine's] language is the language of the times, and that of the purest sort; so that his French is reckoned a standard.
3
French language and literature as an object of study.
I'm taking French next semester.
4
Vulgar language.
Pardon my French.
The enraged headsman spares no 'bad French' in explaining his motives.
Cameron: Pardon my French, but you're an asshole!
The book... is a welcome change from theory-infected academic discourse, pardon my French.
5
A surname originating as an ethnonym.
Dawn French.
David French was a high profile #nevertrump conservative who even toyed with running for president against him.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *frankô Proto-West Germanic *Frankō Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-isk Proto-West Germanic *Frankisk Old English Frencisċder. Middle English Frensch English French Inherited from Middle English Frenche, Frensch, Frensc, Frenshe, Frenk, Franche, from Old English Frenċisċ (“Frankish, French”), from Proto-West Germanic *Frankisk (“Frankish”), equivalent to Frank + -ish (compare Frankish). Cognate with Middle Low German vranksch, frenkisch, vrenkesch, vrenksch (“Frankish, French”), Middle High German vrenkisch, vrensch ("Frankish, Franconian; > German fränkisch (“Frankish, Franconian”)), Danish fransk (“French”), Swedish fransk, fransysk (“French”), Icelandic franska (“French”). Doublet of Frankish; piecewise doublet of Francis, Franz, and Francisco, which are derived from Late Latin Franciscus In reference to vulgar language, from expressions such as pardon my French in the early 19th century, originally in reference to actual (but often mildly impolite) French expressions by the upper class, subsequently adopted ironically by the lower class for English curse words under the charitable conceit that the listener would not be familiar with them. In reference to vermouth, a shortened form of French vermouth, distinguished as usually being drier than Italian vermouth.

noun

1
The people of France; groups of French people.
The Hundred Years' War was fought between the English and the French.
Under the Fourth Republic, more and more French unionized.
[…]to breake the necke of the wicked purposes & plots of the French[…]
Such is the nature and complexion of the frenches, that they are worth nothing, but at the first push.
2
datedSynonym of oral sex, especially fellatio.
French--^([sic]) to do the French--Cocksucking; and, inversely, to tongue a woman.
You can be whipped or caned... or you can have French for another pound.
Always use condoms with Greek (anal intercourse), straight sex (vaginal intercourse, fucking), French (oral sex).
‘French’—still used by prostitutes as a term for oral sex.
3
A French person.
4
Variant of French vermouthdatedEllipsis of French vermouth, a type of dry vermouth.
Tearle replied that gin-and-French and virginian cigarettes would do for him.
He was drinking double gins with single Frenches in them.

adjective

1
Of or relating to France.
the French border with Italy
The religious interpretation of socialism and the conception of a new epoch as the fulfilment of the true content of Christianity were, in fact, current coin in the French socialism of the 1830s and 1840s.
That must have hurt, especially because you knew the French children weren’t even trying. “Uh, go on, play weez your seellee nambeurs. Zey tell you nosseeng of ze true naytcheur of ze soula. I’ll weepa for you.”
2
Of or relating to the people or culture of France.
French customs
3
Of or relating to the French language.
French verbs
4
slangOf or related to oral sex, especially fellatio.
French active
French girl
She was a tall redhead, with a shape that would make you jump for joy and a reputation as the best French girl in the place.
5
informalUsed to form names or references to venereal diseases.
French disease
French crown
French pox
6
Used to form names or references to an unconventional or fancy style.
French curve
French cut
French fries
French kiss

verb

1
Variant of frenchAlternative letter-case form of french.
Even before I thought about what I was doing we Frenched and kissed with tongues.

Forms

plural: Frenches
comparative: more French, Frencher
superlative: most French, Frenchest
past tense: Frenched
past participle: Frenched
present participle: Frenching
third person singular: Frenches

freight · The transportation of goods (originally by water; now also…freighter · One who loads a ship.french · To prepare food by cutting it into strips.

French · The language of France, shared by the neighboring countries Belgium, Monaco, and Switzerland and by former French colonies around the world.

Frenchman · A man of French birth or nationality.frenzy · A state of wild activity or panic.frequency · The rate of occurrence of anything; the relationship between…

The neighbouring pages — Alphabetical order follows the rules of the language, not byte values: an accent decides only between two otherwise identical words, and Spanish files Ñ as a letter of its own.