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

“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

In France, the bise is a long-standing tradition for greeting loved ones, or even strangers, that was upended by the coronavirus.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 31, 2021

“That bise would never happen in an office of professionals on a first meeting,” he said.

From New York Times • Oct. 2, 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

A wind called the bise had been blowing for the last twenty-four hours, and when we left Vévey the gale was so strong, that the steam-boat had great difficulty in getting ahead.

From A Residence in France With an Excursion Up the Rhine, and a Second Visit to Switzerland by Cooper, James Fenimore