enceinte

¹

[ en-seynt, ahn-sant; French ahn-sant ]

adjective

1. pregnant; with child.

enceinte

²

[ en-seynt, ahn-sant; French ahn-sant ]

noun

, plural en·ceintes [en-, seynts, en-, sants, ah, n, -, sant].

1. a wall or enclosure, as of a fortified place.
2. the place enclosed.

enceinte

¹

/ ɒnˈsænt; ɑ̃sɛ̃t /

adjective

1. See pregnant
   another word for pregnant

enceinte

²

/ ɒnˈsænt; ɑ̃sɛ̃t /

noun

1. a boundary wall enclosing a defended area
2. the area enclosed

Word History and Origins

Origin of enceinte¹

1590–1600; < Middle French < Late Latin incincta, perhaps literally “ungirded,” equivalent to Latin in- in- ³ + cincta, feminine of cinctus, past participle of cingere to belt, gird, surround

Origin of enceinte²

1700–10; < French: enclosure, also girding fence or rampart < Latin incincta, noun use of feminine of incinctus girded in (past participle of incingere ), equivalent to in- in- ² + cing- gird + -tus past participle suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of enceinte¹

C17: from French, from Latin inciēns pregnant; related to Greek enkuos, from kuein to be pregnant

Origin of enceinte²

C18: from French: enclosure, from enceindre to encompass, from Latin incingere , from cingere to gird

Example Sentences

Her face, which was ludicrously plain, matched her figure, which seemed without being so to be perpetually enceinte.

From Project Gutenberg

When she first became enceinte, she put her mind on the rack, to think what name she should give to her child.

From Project Gutenberg

We pass over the time between the marriage and when the Princess Charlotte was declared enceinte.

From Project Gutenberg

Item, upon the wife of Jean Bourgaize, while she was enceinte.

From Project Gutenberg

Being enceinte, she was obliged to remain comparatively quiet, which she did very willingly.

From Project Gutenberg