Provence

[praw-vahns; English pruh-vahns]

noun

a region in SE France, bordering on the Mediterranean: formerly a province; famous for medieval poetry and courtly traditions.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for provence

Contemporary Examples of provence

Cartier-Bresson died in Provence in 2004, but this anniversary show reinforces that he is as substantial a presence as ever.
The True Henri Cartier-Bresson
Sarah Moroz
February 13, 2014
Provence was where Fisher and Child, along with their friend James Beard, began to break from French traditions of cooking.
This Week’s Hot Reads, Oct. 21, 2013
Thomas Flynn
October 21, 2013
He does a mocking California surfer-dude accent here—or at least a surfer dude from Provence.
Exercising Like a Caveman: A.J. Jacobs Gets Primal
A.J. Jacobs
April 10, 2012
We've Always Had Paris...and Provence by Patricia and Walter Wells.
Fresh Picks
Edward Brown
March 2, 2010
Assaud is a rock star master chef who cooks with two apprentices and has just six tables at his restaurant in Provence.
Fresh Picks
John Besh
November 17, 2009

Historical Examples of provence

Some of the olives that were prepared to be eat green, were as good as those of Provence.
The History of Louisiana
Le Page Du Pratz
His history was bad, and he had been sent in disgrace to this hot and dusty corner of Provence.
A Zola Dictionary
J. G. Patterson
In spite of her father, she will visit the whole of Provence.
The Memoirs of the Louis XIV. and The Regency, Complete
Elizabeth-Charlotte, Duchesse d'Orleans
Felicite was a short, dark woman, such as one often meets in Provence.
The Fortune of the Rougons
Emile Zola
It is a receipt I brought back with me from Provence; I think you 'll find them good.
One Of Them
Charles James Lever

British Dictionary definitions for provence

Provence

noun

a former province of SE France, on the Mediterranean, and the River Rhône: forms part of the administrative region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

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

Word Origin and History for provence

Provence

from French Provence, from Latin provincia "province" (see province); the southern part of ancient Gaul technically was the province of Gallia Narbonensis, but it came under Roman rule long before the rest of Gaul and as the Romans considered it the province par excellence they familiarly called it (nostra) provincia "our province."