rendezvous
Americannoun
plural
rendezvous-
an agreement between two or more persons to meet at a certain time and place.
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the meeting itself.
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a place designated for a meeting or assembling, especially of troops or ships.
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a meeting of two or more spacecraft in outer space.
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a favorite or popular gathering place.
verb (used with or without object)
noun
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a meeting or appointment to meet at a specified time and place
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a place where people meet
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an arranged meeting of two spacecraft
verb
Etymology
Origin of rendezvous
1585–95; < Middle French, noun use of rendez-vous (imperative) present or betake yourselves; render 1
Explanation
Rendezvous is a very French way to say "meeting" or "date." So go ahead and call your next dentist appointment or lunch date with friends a rendezvous. In the 1590s, rendezvous meant “a place for assembling of troops.” And you'll still hear military tacticians talking about "rendezvous points" today. But more often we use rendezvous to describe an assembling of friends, an appointment, or a date with your secret lover. If you're feeling extra Frenchy, you can use rendezvous as a verb, as in "Let's rendezvous next Saturday at the mall."
Vocabulary lists containing rendezvous
The Silent Treatment: Words Plagued by Silent Letters
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Hamilton
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"Of Plymouth Plantation," Vocabulary from the historical account
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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.
On 16 December 1965, to celebrate the first successful space rendezvous, astronauts Thomas Stafford and Wally Schirra surprised mission control with a little festive spirit.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
The mission is to be followed by Artemis 3 with the goal of "rendezvous in low-Earth orbit" of at least one lunar lander.
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
It’s nearly impossible to keep count of the “I love you”s exchanged during the pair’s rendezvous.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 13, 2026
“Some like to shop, others will go biking, but we’ll rendezvous for one event a day.”
From MarketWatch • Nov. 22, 2025
Apollo 9 was the first test flight of the lunar module, in earth orbit, and Apollo 10 was to be a dress rehearsal in lunar orbit, involving a rendezvous but not a landing.
From "Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story" by Michael Collins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
