Word origins

• triageAssessment or sorting according to quality, need, etc., especially to determine how resources will be allocated.
• impressionistOne who adheres to the theory or method of impressionism.
• stagnantLacking flow or motion, and thus usually not fresh or healthy; decaying through stillness.
• folliesA lavishly-produced theatrical revue characterized by major stars, huge casts, and opulent costumes and scenery.
• machinistA constructor of machines and engines; someone knowledgeable about machines.
• maraisA marsh; a marshy area, one intermittently covered with water, particularly in Louisiana, or in other French-speaking areas.
• centrifugeA device in which a mixture of denser and lighter materials (normally dispersed in a liquid) is separated by being spun about a central axis at high speed.
• debacleAn event or enterprise that ends suddenly and disastrously, often with humiliating consequences.
• gauzeA thin fabric with a loose, open weave.
• matineeA showing of a movie, sporting event, or theatrical performance in the morning or afternoon.
• impromptuImprovised; without prior preparation, planning, or rehearsal.
• mushA somewhat liquid mess, often of food; a soft or semisolid substance.
• papillonA small dog of a certain toy spaniel breed having large upright ears with a shape that resembles butterfly wings.
• impressionismAn art movement characterized by visible brushstrokes, ordinary subject matter, and an emphasis on light and its changing qualities.
• ravineA deep narrow valley or gorge in the earth's surface worn by running water.
• CLOSA surname.
• truffleAny of various edible fungi, of the genus Tuber, that grow in the soil in southern Europe; the earthnut.
• nuanceA minor distinction.
• niveaulevel, grade, standard
• LemieuxA surname from French.
• 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.
• EduardA male given name from French
• agronomyThe science of utilizing plants, animals and soils for food, fuel, feed, fiber, etc.
• AntoinetteA female given name from French; best known for the ill-fated French queen Marie Antoinette.
• merciThank you.
• DionneA French-Canadian surname from French.
• biliaryOf or pertaining to bile or the bile duct
• denierAn old French coin worth one-twelfth of a sou.
• partiThe basic, central, or main concept, drawing, or scheme of an architectural design.
• 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.
• SaukA member of a certain tribe or group of Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands culture group.
• CrayolaA surname.
• 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.
• masculinityThe degree or property of being masculine or manly; manliness.
• masseA surname from French.
• pretentiousMotivated by an inappropriate, excessive, or unjustified desire to impress others.
• gastronomyThe art of preparing and eating good food.
• langueLanguage as a system rather than language in use, including the formal rules, structures, and limitations of language.
• footyFootball (association football) (soccer in US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand).
• 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.
• sounderSomething or someone who makes a sound.
• filigreeA delicate and intricate ornamentation made from platinum, gold or silver (or sometimes other metal) twisted wire.
• chockAny object used as a wedge or filler, especially when placed behind a wheel to prevent it from rolling.
• 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.
• ganderA male goose.
• mademoiselleA courtesy title for an unmarried woman in France or a French-speaking country.
• tableauA striking and vivid representation or scene; a picture.
• tabbyA kind of waved silk, usually called watered silk, manufactured like taffeta, but thicker and stronger. The watering is given to it by calendering.
• 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
• kinematicsThe branch of mechanics concerned with objects in motion, but not with the forces involved.
• 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
• didacticInstructive or intended to teach or demonstrate, especially with regard to morality.
• RennesThe capital city of Ille-et-Vilaine department, France; the capital city of the region of Brittany.
• propyleneThe organic chemical compound propene. An alkene which is a colorless gaseous (at room temperature and pressure) hydrocarbon with the chemical formula C₃H₆.
• succulentJuicy or lush.
• balsamicProducing balsam.
• GustaveA male given name from the Germanic languages, variant of Gustav.
• GirardeauA surname from French.
• subjectivityThe state of being subjective.
• AbbevilleA town and commune in Somme department, Hauts-de-France, France.
• actualityThe state of existing; existence.
• immunisationThe process of immunising signalling and traction power supplies so they don't interfere with each other.
• 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.
• permissiveGiving permission, or predisposed to give it; lenient.
• odometerAn instrument, usually embedded within the speedometer of a vehicle, that measures the distance the vehicle has traveled since production.
• 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.
• pedometerA device, often electronic, that measures the number of steps taken, and thus estimates the distance walked.
• commutativeSuch that the order in which the operands are taken does not affect their image under the operation.
• syrahA dark-skinned variety of grape, used to produce red wines.
• periodicityRecurrence of a woman's periods; menstruation.
• chowderA thick, creamy soup or stew.
• disinfectantServing to kill germs or viruses.