French

Meaning

Name

1. The language of France, shared by the neighboring countries Belgium, Monaco, and Switzerland and by former French colonies around the world.
2. The ability of a person to communicate in French.
3. French language and literature as an object of study.
4. Vulgar language.
5. A surname.

Noun

1. The people of France; groups of French people.
2. (slang) Synonym of oral sex, especially fellatio.
3. (slang) Ellipsis of French vermouth, a type of dry vermouth.

Adj

1. Of or relating to France.
2. Of or relating to the people or culture of France.
3. Of or relating to the French language.
4. (slang) Of or related to oral sex, especially fellatio.
5. (informal) Used to form names or references to venereal diseases.
6. Used to form names or references to an unconventional or fancy style.

Verb

Alternative letter-case form of french

Pronounced as (IPA)

/fɹɛnt͡ʃ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English Frenche, Frensch, Frensc, Frenshe, Frenk, Franche, from Old English Frenċisċ (“Frankish, French”), from Proto-West Germanic *Frankisk (“Frankish”), equivalent to Frank + -ish (compare Frankish). Cognate with Middle Low German vranksch, frenkisch, vrenkesch, vrenksch (“Frankish, French”), Middle High German vrenkisch, vrensch ("Frankish, Franconian; > German fränkisch (“Frankish, Franconian”)), Danish fransk (“French”), Swedish fransk, fransysk (“French”), Icelandic franska (“French”).
Doublet of Frankish.
In reference to vulgar language, from expressions such as pardon my French in the early 19th century, originally in reference to actual (but often mildly impolite) French expressions by the upper class, subsequently adopted ironically by the lower class for English cursewords under the charitable conceit that the listener would not be familiar with them.
In reference to vermouth, a shortened form of French vermouth, distinguished as usually being drier than Italian vermouth.

Sentences

The group was particularly influenced by the French color art .