enceinte

¹ American  

[en-seynt, ahn-sant, ahn-sant] / ɛnˈseɪnt, ɑnˈsænt, ɑ̃ˈsɛ̃t /

adjective

1. pregnant; with child.

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enceinte ² American  

[en-seynt, ahn-sant, ahn-sant] / ɛnˈseɪnt, ɑnˈsænt, ɑ̃ˈsɛ̃t /

noun

plural

enceintes

1. a wall or enclosure, as of a fortified place.

2. the place enclosed.

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enceinte ¹ British  

/ ɑ̃sɛ̃t, ɒnˈsænt /

noun

1. a boundary wall enclosing a defended area

2. the area enclosed

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enceinte ² British  

/ ɑ̃sɛ̃t, ɒnˈsænt /

adjective

1. another word for pregnant

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Etymology

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

Example Sentences

Its remains include an identifying tell mound, at the northern end of the site, a polygonal inner wall circuit, and a large outer defensive wall, or enceinte.

From Science Daily • Apr. 19, 2024

And when Annette Bening appeared at the Academy Awards in 2000, gloriously enceinte in a dark gown, it sparked “a revolution,” Ms. Fuller said.

From New York Times • May 15, 2013

Middle-class women no longer got pregnant, for example; they became enceinte, or were "in an interesting condition."

From Time Magazine Archive

Professor Perrin thinks Americans had better stick to American words and not fool around with such tony Gallicisms as chic, enceinte and demimonde.

From Time Magazine Archive

The outer enceinte, to which is attached a cylindrical donjon erected by Philip Augustus, king of France, embraces an area of over 7 acres.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 1 "Gichtel, Johann" to "Glory" by Various