bise

British  

/ biːz /

noun

1. a cold dry northerly wind in Switzerland and the neighbouring parts of France and Italy, usually in the spring

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Etymology

Origin of bise

C14: from Old French, of Germanic origin; compare Old Swedish bīsa whirlwind

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bise

“When I do my show I ask the audience by way of applause who’s done la bise since covid, the whole room applauds.”

From Reuters ● Sep. 28, 2021

But when the pandemic gripped the nation, it instilled a fear that the bise could pose a threat.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 31, 2021

I might not like la bise — I don’t like inattentive waiters, either — but it’s integral to the city and its culture, and its politics are in the right place.

From New York Times ● May 1, 2020

Deep into last spring’s campaign to elect Socialist President François Hollande, Valérie Trierweiler could still be seen greeting an old confrère with la bise, a two-cheek kiss, on the edge of a media scrum.

From Newsweek ● Sep. 17, 2012

According to Cotgrave, Rabelais uses brize in the sense of bise, the name of a dry north or north-east wind prevalent in Switzerland and the bordering parts of France, Italy and Germany.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 4 "Bradford, William" to "Brequigny, Louis" by Various