congé
Americannoun
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leave-taking; farewell.
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permission to depart.
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sudden dismissal.
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a bow or obeisance.
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Architecture. a concave molding, as an apophyge, formed by a quadrant curving away from a given surface and terminating perpendicular to a fillet parallel to that surface.
noun
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permission to depart or dismissal, esp when formal
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a farewell
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architect a concave moulding See also cavetto
Etymology
Origin of congé
From French, dating back to 1695–1705; see origin at congee
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Adieu, from the French, is still more ceremonious than farewell; congé, also from the French, is commonly contemptuous or supercilious, and equivalent to dismissal.
From English Synonyms and Antonyms With Notes on the Correct Use of Prepositions by Fernald, James Champlin
So saying, she turns from him, as though anxious to give him a gentle congé.
From Airy Fairy Lilian by Margaret Wolfe Hamilton (AKA Duchess)
The old-fashioned invocations of God, Madonna, or some saint were preserved at the beginning of each canto, while the audience received their congé from the author at its close.
From Renaissance in Italy: Italian Literature Part 1 (of 2) by Symonds, John Addington
Does she ever regret—repent of her haste in thus giving him his congé!
From Fordham's Feud by Mitford, Bertram
It is obvious that serious loss might be entailed upon the community, if the patron refrained for some time from granting his congé d’élire.
From Medieval English Nunneries c. 1275 to 1535 by Power, Eileen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
