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French bread

American  
[french bred] / ˈfrɛntʃ ˌbrɛd /

noun

  1. a yeast-raised bread made of dough containing water and distinguished by its thick, well-browned crust, usually made in long, slender, tapered loaves.


French bread British  

noun

  1. white bread in a long slender loaf that is made from a water dough and has a crisp brown crust

"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

Etymology

Origin of French bread

First recorded in 1680–90

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.

Traditional French bread and baguettes contained about 1.7 g of salt per 100 g, contributing roughly 2 g per person per day, or about 25% of total intake.

From Science Daily • Jan. 31, 2026

Soft French bread full of an oniony spinach-feta mixture.

From Washington Times • Nov. 15, 2023

My favorite way to eat this is with a fork in one hand and a hunk of French bread in the other.

From Salon • Aug. 17, 2023

"I missed French bread a lot because it was very different from the bread here," she said.

From BBC • May 13, 2023

I peel the potatoes and set ’em to boil, rub a wood bowl with garlic, mix up a salad, and slice my French bread.

From "Girls Like Us" by Gail Giles