Word origins

• AquitaineA former duchy in the kingdom of France, long held by the kings of England.
• individualismThe tendency for a person to act without reference to others, particularly in matters of style, fashion or mode of thought.
• artisteA public performer, especially of song or dance.
• anecdoteA short account of a real incident or person, often humorous or interesting.
• pseudonymA fictitious name (more literally, a false name), as those used by writers and movie stars.
• panacheAn ornamental plume on a helmet.
• agronomyThe science of utilizing plants, animals and soils for food, fuel, feed, fiber, etc.
• merciThank you.
• DionneA French-Canadian surname from French.
• denierAn old French coin worth one-twelfth of a sou.
• ergA unit of work or energy, being the amount of work done by a force of one dyne applied through a distance of one centimeter. Equal to 10⁻⁷ joules.
• batterieA brilliant display of virtuosity in which the dancer's legs open and close rapidly while in the air, with the illusion of striking together and rebounding.
• reactionaryExtremely conservative; opposing revolution (such as the French Revolution); favoring a return to a "golden age" of the past.
• masseA surname from French.
• langueLanguage as a system rather than language in use, including the formal rules, structures, and limitations of language.
• JeannetteA female given name from French.
• florentineCooked or served with spinach.
• JuraA mountain range on the border of France and Switzerland, extending into Germany; in full, Jura Mountains.
• radiumThe chemical element (symbol Ra) with an atomic number of 88. It is a soft, shiny and silvery radioactive alkaline earth metal.
• haoA former currency unit of Vietnam, worth one tenth of a dong.
• TissotA surname from French.
• dafA large frame drum, resembling a tambourine, used to accompany popular and classical music in the Middle East.
• GaulA native or inhabitant of the historical region of Gaul, or poetically the modern nation of France.
• locketA pendant that opens to reveal a space used for storing a photograph or other small item.
• mademoiselleA courtesy title for an unmarried woman in France or a French-speaking country.
• tableauA striking and vivid representation or scene; a picture.
• frigateA sailing warship (of any size) built for speed and maneuverability; typically without raised upperworks, having a flush forecastle and tumblehome sides.
• JanelleA female given name.
• LaplaceA surname from French, famously held by
• AlgiersThe capital and largest city of Algeria.
• neutralizeTo make (something) even, inactive or ineffective.
• arlesA city in Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France.
• aeroplaneSynonym of airplane. A powered heavier-than-air aircraft with fixed wings.
• TrudeauA surname from French; variant forms Troudeau, Troudo, Trudau, Trudaux, Trudeaux, Trudo, Trutau, Trutaux, Truteau, Truteaux.
• OuestOne of the ten departments of Haiti.
• DebussyA surname from French, notably borne by
• RennesThe capital city of Ille-et-Vilaine department, France; the capital city of the region of Brittany.
• succulentJuicy or lush.
• balsamicProducing balsam.
• GustaveA male given name from the Germanic languages, variant of Gustav.
• GirardeauA surname from French.
• AbbevilleA town and commune in Somme department, Hauts-de-France, France.
• savantA person of learning, especially one who is versed in literature or science.
• vinaigretteA sauce, made of an acidic liquid such as vinegar or lemon juice; oil; and other ingredients, used as a salad dressing, or as a marinade for cold meats.
• globularRoughly spherical in shape; globe-shaped.
• brasserieA small, informal restaurant that serves beer and wine as well as simple food.
• BrugesThe capital city of West Flanders province, Belgium.
• GervaisA surname.
• aubergeAn inn or hostel.
• brieAn originally French variety of soft cheese made from cow's milk.
• gibbonA small, arboreal ape of the family Hylobatidae with long limbs, which they use to travel through tropical rainforests by swinging from branch to branch.
• syrahA dark-skinned variety of grape, used to produce red wines.
• chowderA thick, creamy soup or stew.
• disinfectantServing to kill germs or viruses.
• LarueA surname from French.
• colicSevere pains that grip the abdomen or the disease that causes such pains (due to intestinal or bowel-related problems).
• coulombIn the International System of Units, the derived unit of electric charge; the amount of electric charge carried by a current of 1 ampere flowing for 1 second. Symbol: C
• masqueA dramatic performance, often performed at court as a royal entertainment, consisting of dancing, dialogue, pantomime and song.
• makiA ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta).
• toileplain or simple twilled fabric
• asterixA series of French comic books written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo about an Ancient Gaul named Asterix.
• RPAPrivately-operated retirement home
• cunyAn ordinary seaman.
• VieuxA surname from French.
• aproposOf an appropriate or pertinent nature.
• surrealismAn artistic movement and an aesthetic philosophy that aims for the liberation of the mind by emphasizing the critical and imaginative powers of the subconscious.
• gumboSynonym of okra: the plant or its edible capsules.
• mariageA surname from French, equivalent to English Marriage
• BenedictineA monk or nun belonging to the order founded by Saint Benedict of Nursia.
• impasseA road with no exit.
• chemiseA loose shirtlike undergarment, especially for women.
• hydrateA solid compound containing or linked to water molecules.
• HebertA surname from French.
• concoursA competitive examination, especially in medicine.
• extraordinaireExtraordinary, remarkable, outstanding.
• harpsichordA stringed musical instrument with a keyboard, the mechanical precursor to the fortepiano, in which each key causes a plectrum to pluck a corresponding tuned string, producing a bright, sharp tone similar to that of a harp.
• impersonalNot personal; not representing a person; not having personality.
• SavoieA department of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. Capital: Chambéry (INSEE code 73).
• BayonneA city and commune in Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France.
• RosalieA female given name from French [in turn from Latin].
• bourgeoisieA class of citizens who were wealthier members of the third estate.
• voitureA carriage; a vehicle, now chiefly in French contexts.
• INRIAFrench Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation.
• chloroformA halogenated hydrocarbon, trichloromethane, CHCl₃; it is a volatile, sweet-smelling liquid, used extensively as a solvent and formerly as an anesthetic.
• cogentReasonable and convincing; based on evidence.
• nefAn extravagant table ornament and container used in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, made in the shape of a ship.
• albanPertaining to the ancient Latin city of Alba Longa.
• pureeA food that has been ground or crushed into a thick liquid or paste.
• RouenA heavyweight breed of domesticated duck, of French origin.
• georgetteA thin lightweight silk or cotton fabric with a matte finish.
• tamponA plug of cotton or other absorbent material inserted into a body cavity or wound to absorb fluid, especially one inserted in the vagina during menstruation.
• gabyA stupid, foolish person; a simpleton; a dunce.
• croupierThe person who collects bets and pays out winnings at a gambling table, such as in a casino.
• BugattiA motor car manufactured by this company.
• diphtheriaA serious infectious disease leading to inflammation of mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae.
• RoussillonA region of the Occitania region, France, approximately coterminous with Pyrénées-Orientales, that was once a part of Catalonia.
• gaucheAwkward or lacking in social graces; bumbling; apt to make gaffes.
• complicityThe state of being complicit; involvement as a partner or accomplice, especially in a crime or other wrongdoing.
• penchantA taste, liking, or inclination for (something).
• financierA person who, as a profession, profits from large financial transactions.