maquis

or Ma·quis

[ mah-kee, ma-; French ma-kee ]
/ mɑˈki, mæ-; French maˈki /

noun, plural ma·quis [mah-keez, ma-; French ma-kee] /mɑˈkiz, mæ-; French maˈki/.

the French underground movement, or Resistance, that combatted the Nazis in World War II.
Also called maquisard. a member of this movement.

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Origin of maquis

1940–45; < French, special use of maquis, makis wild, bushy land < Italian (Corsican dial.) macchie (with French -is for -ie), plural of macchia a thicket < Latin macula spot

Words nearby maquis

maputo, maquette, maqui, maquiladora, maquillage, maquis, maquisard, mar, mar del plata, mar-hawk, mar.

Definition for maquis (2 of 2)

maqui
[ mah-kee ]
/ ˈmɑ ki /

noun

an evergreen shrub, Aristotelia chilensis, of Chile, having toothed, oblong leaves, greenish-white flowers, and purple berries, grown as an ornamental in S California.

Origin of maqui

1695–1705; < Spanish < Araucanian
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for maquis

British Dictionary definitions for maquis

maquis
/ (mɑːˈkiː) /

noun plural -quis (-ˈkiː)

shrubby mostly evergreen vegetation found in coastal regions of the Mediterranean: includes myrtles, heaths, arbutus, cork oak, and ilex
(often capital)
  1. the French underground movement that fought against the German occupying forces in World War II
  2. a member of this movement

Word Origin for maquis

C20: from French, from Italian macchia thicket, from Latin macula spot
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