Word origins

• umpAn umpire.
• prismaticOf or pertaining to a prism; having the form of a prism; containing one or more prisms.
• afficheA written or printed notice to be posted, as on a wall; a poster; a placard.
• LefevreA surname from French. (Smith)
• bandyTo give and receive reciprocally; to exchange.
• compensableAble to be compensated.
• narcolepsyA disorder characterized by sudden and uncontrollable attacks of deep sleep, often brief, sometimes accompanied by paralysis and hallucinations.
• couscousA pasta of North African origin made of crushed and steamed semolina.
• ouguiyaThe currency of Mauritania, divided into five khoums.
• meringueA mixture consisting of beaten egg whites and either sugar or other flavorings; it is often baked to brown the surface and may be used as a topping or in other ways, most often as a dessert.
• bateauA small, flat-bottomed type of boat.
• vetiverThe grass Chrysopogon zizanioides (synonym Vetiveria zizanioides), which is native to India, but planted throughout the tropics for its fragrant roots and for erosion control.
• cassisA blackcurrant plant (Ribes nigrum); the flavor of its berries.
• colonnadeA series of columns at regular intervals.
• alimentationAlimony.
• amaranthAn imaginary flower that does not wither.
• LangloisA surname from French, equivalent to English English.
• regroupAn act of regrouping.
• despotismGovernment by a despot or despots: rule by a singular authority, either a single person or a tight-knit group, which rules with absolute power, especially in a cruel and oppressive way.
• LacombeA surname from French.
• phaetona light four-wheeled open carriage drawn by four horses
• GrenierA surname from French.
• gagaMentally senile.
• entrainmentEnthusiasm, liveliness; impulsiveness.
• PlanteA surname from English
• arrondissementAn administrative division in some French- or Dutch-speaking countries.
• TGVA French national high-speed train, run by the railway service of the same name.
• ligniteA low-grade, brownish-black coal.
• dernierFinal, last.
• lavageA washing.
• BlanchettA surname from French.
• souffleA murmuring or blowing sound.
• FIBAThe International Basketball Federation.
• PerpignanA city, the capital of Pyrénées-Orientales department, Occitania, France, formerly in Languedoc-Roussillon.
• MeunierA surname from French.
• cubismAn artistic movement in the early 20th Century characterized by the depiction of natural forms as geometric structures of planes.
• coffretA small box or chest; casket.
• djembeA large, rope-tuned, skin-covered drum played with the bare hands, used in West African and some fusion music.
• gyroscopeAn apparatus composed of a wheel which spins inside of a frame (gimbal) and causes the balancing of the frame in any direction or position. In the form of a gyroscopic stabilizer, used to help keep aircraft and ships steady.
• AgadirA city in Souss-Massa, Morocco.
• MontaigneA surname from French, equivalent to English Mountain.
• chartresA city, the capital of Eure-et-Loir department, Centre-Val de Loire, France.
• sachetA small scented cloth bag filled with fragrant material such as herbs or potpourri.
• luminaireAn electrical device that contains an electric lamp that provides illumination.
• DuryA surname from French.
• barretteA clasp or clip for gathering and holding the hair.
• celebrantA person who officiates at a religious ceremony, especially a marriage or the Eucharist.
• omeletteA dish made with beaten eggs cooked in a frying pan without stirring, flipped over to cook on both sides, and sometimes filled or topped with other foodstuffs, for example cheese or chives.
• vernierA secondary scale with finer graduations than the primary scale of a measuring device; the vernier measures between graduations of the larger scale.
• acidificationThe act or process of making something sour (acidifying), or changing into an acid.
• tiradeA long, angry or violent speech.
• barretA kind of fitted cap worn by medieval soldiers.
• tourniquetA tightly-compressed bandage used to stop bleeding by stopping the flow of blood through a large artery in a limb.
• RousseA surname from French.
• inexperienceA lack of experience.
• chicaneA quibble, a pedantic or dishonest objection; an act of deception.
• CCITTFormer name of ITU-T.
• candidatureThe condition of becoming a candidate; candidateship.
• acquiescenceA silent or passive assent or submission, or a submission with apparent consent, distinguished from avowed consent on the one hand, and on the other, from opposition or open discontent; quiet satisfaction.
• ThibaultA surname from French
• carillonA set of bells, often in a bell tower, sometimes operated by means of a keyboard (manual or pedal), originating from the Low Countries.
• ValmontA surname from French
• commodeA low chest of drawers on short legs.
• flatulenceThe state of having gas, often malodorous, trapped (and when released, frequently with noise) in the digestive system of a human and some other animals; wind; and when released, a flatus, a fart.
• oxalateAny salt or ester of oxalic acid.
• BourgetA surname from French.
• escapadeA daring or adventurous act; an undertaking which goes against convention.
• abstentionThe act of restraining oneself.
• solidificationThe action of solidifying.
• abonnementA subscription or season ticket in a French-speaking country or another country where abonnement is the local term.
• couturierA person who designs haute couture (high fashion).
• MontvilleA surname from French, alternative form of Monville.
• protectionistOf or pertaining to protectionism, or an advocate thereof.
• DeauvilleA coastal commune in Honfleur-Deauville canton, Lisieux, Calvados department, Côte Fleurie, Lower Normandy, Normandy, France.
• naturismThe belief in or practice of going nude in social settings, often in mixed-gender groups, specifically either in cultures where this is not the norm or for health reasons.
• BessonA surname from French.
• LafargeA surname from French
• fortinA small fort; a fortlet.
• tricotA soft knit fabric.
• eureA department of Normandy, France. Capital: Évreux (INSEE code 27).
• VanierA surname from French.
• PrevostA surname from French.
• cadastralof or relating to a cadastre
• BourqueA surname from French
• RoseauThe capital city of Dominica.
• croissantA flaky roll or pastry in a form of a crescent.
• LebaronA surname from French.
• PayetteA surname from French.
• philatelyStamp collecting.
• RenardA surname.
• clapperOne who claps; a person who applauds by clapping the hands.
• lurchA sudden or unsteady movement.
• alleeA tree-lined avenue, often particularly one that is part of a landscaped garden.
• bombardA medieval primitive cannon, used chiefly in sieges for throwing heavy stone balls.
• clavierThe keyboard of an organ, pianoforte, or harmonium.
• puristOf or pertaining to purism.
• kirA cocktail made with a measure of crème de cassis topped up with white wine.
• HenrietteA female given name from French.
• gallantrycourage.
• brazierA worker in brass; a brassworker.