Etymology

ménage à quatre

Today it means: A household or relationship whereby four people live together as lovers. Full definition →

French ménage à trois
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The story

  1. French · derived fromménage à trois
  2. English todayménage à quatre

From ménage à trois (“household whereby three people live as lovers; sexual act involving three people”), from French ménage à trois. The number trois (“three”) is replaced by quatre (“four”).

Words from the same roots

Frenchménage à trois all →

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.