French

[ french ]

/ frɛntʃ /

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See synonyms for French on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of France or its inhabitants, language, or culture: French cooking.

noun

(used with a plural verb) the people of France collectively: Philosophies advanced by the French during the Age of Reason profoundly influenced the American Founding Fathers.

a Romance language spoken in France, parts of Belgium and Switzerland, and in areas colonized after 1500 by France. Abbreviations: F, Fr.

verb (used with object)

(often lowercase) to prepare (food) according to a French method.

(often lowercase) to cut (snap beans) into slivers or thin strips before cooking.

(often lowercase) to trim the meat from the end of (a rib chop or chicken breast with attached wing): For this recipe, the chops on the rack of lamb are Frenched about an inch. To french a chicken breast, scrape down the meat on the wing to expose the bone.

(often lowercase) to prepare (meat) for cooking by slicing it into strips and pounding.

Slang. to short-sheet (a bed).

(often lowercase)Slang. to give (someone) a French kiss: Her parents found her frenching her boyfriend on the porch swing after curfew.

(often lowercase)Slang: Vulgar. to perform fellatio or cunnilingus on.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about French

excuse / pardon one's French, (used to excuse or apologize for the use of vulgarity): Pardon my French—I didn’t realize there were ladies present.

Origin of French

First recorded before 1150; Middle English Frennsce, Frensh, French, from Old English Frencisc; see origin at Frank, -ish¹

OTHER WORDS FROM French

Frenchness, noun

Words nearby French

Fremantle, fremd, fremitus, Fremont, frenate, French, French Academy, French and Indian War, French arch, French bean, French bed

Other definitions for French (2 of 2)

French²

[ french ]

/ frɛntʃ /

noun

Alice "Octave Thanet", 1850–1934, U.S. novelist and short-story writer.

Daniel Chester, 1850–1931, U.S. sculptor.

Sir John Den·ton Pink·stone

[den-tn -pingk-stohn, -stuhn], /ˈdɛn tn ˈpɪŋk stoʊn, -stən/, 1st Earl of Ypres, 1852–1925, English field marshal in World War I.

Marilyn, 1929–2009, U.S. novelist and nonfiction writer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use French in a sentence

As far as I can tell, this magazine spent as much time making fun of French politicians as it did of Muslims or Islam.
Harry Shearer on The Dangerous Business of Satire|Lloyd Grove|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The comedian responded to the deadly attack on a French satirical magazine by renewing his recent criticisms of the Islamic faith.
Bill Maher: Hundreds of Millions of Muslims Support Attack on ‘Charlie Hebdo’|Lloyd Grove|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The FBI has also been searching its records for any information that could assist the French investigation, a spokesperson added.
U.S. Spies See Al Qaeda Fingerprints on Paris Massacre|Shane Harris, Nancy A. Youssef|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Gunshots rang out in Paris this morning on a second day of deadly violence that has stunned the French capital.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

I think the response of the French government so far has been pretty appropriate in that regard.
Harry Shearer on The Dangerous Business of Satire|Lloyd Grove|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
However, on reaching Spain, the magic of the Emperor's personality soon restored the vigour and prestige of the French arms.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
He gives a list of the sponsors of the baptized Indians, who included many of the French nobility and clergy.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
It being offensive to the French, they took none of it with them on their return.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Eustache le Sueur died; one of the best French historical painters of his time.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Sanson's Atlas: a very large atlas by a French geographer in use in Swift's time.
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift

British Dictionary definitions for French (1 of 2)

French¹

/ (frɛntʃ) /

noun

the official language of France: also an official language of Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, and certain other countries. It is the native language of approximately 70 million people; also used for diplomacy. Historically, French is an Indo-European language belonging to the Romance groupSee also Old French, Anglo-French

the French (functioning as plural) the natives, citizens, or inhabitants of France collectively

See French vermouth

adjective

relating to, denoting, or characteristic of France, the French, or their languageRelated prefixes: Franco-, Gallo-

(in Canada) of or relating to French Canadians

Derived forms of French

Frenchness, noun

Word Origin for French

Old English Frencisc French, Frankish; see Frank

British Dictionary definitions for French (2 of 2)

French²

/ (frɛntʃ) /

noun

Sir John Denton Pinkstone, 1st Earl of Ypres. 1852–1925, British field marshal in World War I: commanded the British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium (1914–15); Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (1918–21)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012