Miscreant
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C2 noun /ˈmɪs.kri.ənt/

Miscreant

mécréant; criminel
Meaning
A person who behaves badly or illegally; a villain or criminal
Example
The miscreant was caught stealing from the store.
Le mécréant a été attrapé en train de voler dans le magasin.
C2 noun /ˌhaɪdroʊˈfoʊbiə/

hydrophobia

hydrophobie
Meaning
Extreme or irrational fear of water; historically, another name for rabies.
Example
After being bitten by a stray dog, the man was treated for hydrophobia.
Après avoir été mordu par un chien errant, l'homme a été traité pour l'hydrophobie.
C2 noun /ˈvoʊkəbəl/

vocable

vocable
Meaning
a word, term, or sound that has meaning
Example
The dictionary contained thousands of vocables from different languages.
Le dictionnaire contenait des milliers de vocables provenant de différentes langues.
C2 noun /ˈsɜːfdəm/

serfdom

servage
Meaning
The status or condition of being a serf, bound to work for a lord.
Example
Many peasants in medieval Europe lived under serfdom.
De nombreux paysans de l'Europe médiévale vivaient sous le servage.
C2 noun /ˌædjʊˈleɪʃən/

adulation

adulation excessive
Meaning
excessive admiration or flattery
Example
The singer enjoyed the adulation of her fans.
La chanteuse a apprécié l'adulation de ses fans.
C2 verb /əˈlɪtəreɪt/

alliterate

répéter le même son consonantique au début des mots dans une phrase
Meaning
to repeat the same consonant sound at the beginning of words in a phrase or sentence
Example
The poet often alliterates words to create rhythm.
Le poète allite souvent les mots pour créer du rythme.
C2 noun /vɜːrv/

verve

énergie
Meaning
Great enthusiasm, spirit, or energy in expression or performance.
Example
The actor performed his role with remarkable verve.
L'acteur a joué son rôle avec une énergie remarquable.
C2 adjective /ˌsɪkəˈfæntɪk/

sycophantic

flatteur
Meaning
Behaving in a way that is excessively obedient or servile to gain favor.
Example
His sycophantic behavior annoyed his colleagues.
Son comportement flatteur agacé ses collègues.
C2 noun /ˈskɔːrpiən fɪʃ/

Scorpion fish

poisson-scorpion
Meaning
a type of fish with venomous spines that belongs to the family Scorpaenidae
Example
The scorpion fish has dangerous spines that can inject venom.
Le poisson-scorpion a des épines dangereuses qui peuvent injecter du venin.
C2 adjective /ˈməʊdɪʃ/

modish

à la mode
Meaning
conforming to or following current fashion or style
Example
She wore a modish outfit that caught everyone’s attention.
Elle portait une tenue modish qui attirait l'attention de tout le monde.
C2 verb /ɪnˈdaɪt/

indite

composer
Meaning
To write or compose (literary or formal works).
Example
The poet indited a heartfelt sonnet.
Le poète a composé un sonnet sincère.
C2 adjective /ˈɒkjʊlər/

ocular

oculaire
Meaning
Relating to the eye or vision.
Example
The patient was referred to a specialist for ocular treatment.
Le patient a été orienté vers un spécialiste pour un traitement oculaire.
C2 noun /ˈdæstərd/

dastard

lâche
Meaning
a cowardly or dishonorable person
Example
Only a dastard would betray his closest friend.
Seul un lâche trahirait son ami le plus proche.
C2 noun /ˈvɛrɪti/

verity

vérité
Meaning
a true principle or belief; the state of being true
Example
The verity of his statement was confirmed by evidence.
La véracité de sa déclaration a été confirmée par des preuves.
C2 noun /ˈmædrɪɡəl/

madrigal

madrigal
Meaning
A short, lyrical poem set to music, typically from the Renaissance period.
Example
The choir performed a beautiful madrigal from the 16th century.
Le chœur a interprété un magnifique madrigal du XVIe siècle.
C2 verb /ˈɔːltərˌkeɪt/

altercate

disputer
Meaning
to argue or dispute angrily or noisily
Example
The neighbors began to altercate over the boundary wall.
Les voisins ont commencé à discuter sur le mur de la frontière.
C2 verb /ˈfjuːmɪˌɡeɪt/

fumigate

fumiger
Meaning
to disinfect or purify an area by using chemical fumes
Example
They fumigated the warehouse to kill the insects.
Ils ont fumigé l'entrepôt pour tuer les insectes.
C2 noun /məˈlɑː.ti/

Malati

malati
Meaning
a fragrant climbing plant with small white flowers, commonly known as jasmine
Example
The malati vine covered the garden wall with sweet-smelling flowers.
La vigne de malati a couvert le mur du jardin avec des fleurs au parfum sucré.
C2 verb /pɑːrtʃ/

parch

sècher
Meaning
to make something extremely dry, especially by exposure to heat
Example
The scorching sun began to parch the fields.
Le soleil brûlant a commencé à sécher les champs.
C2 noun /ˈmʌɡwʌmp/

mugwump

personne indépendante des partis
Meaning
a person who remains independent from party politics or remains aloof from disputes
Example
He was called a mugwump for refusing to join either political side.
Il a été appelé un mugwump pour avoir refusé de rejoindre l'un ou l'autre côté politique.
C2 adjective /ɪnˈdʒɛnjuəs/

ingenuous

ingénu
Meaning
Innocent, naive, and unsuspecting; showing childlike simplicity and sincerity.
Example
Her ingenuous smile revealed her genuine kindness.
Son sourire ingénu révélait sa véritable gentillesse.
C2 adjective /kəˈkɒfənəs/

cacophonous

cacophonique
Meaning
Producing a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
Example
The cacophonous sounds of the city kept her awake all night.
Les bruits cacophoniques de la ville l'ont empêchée de dormir toute la nuit.
C2 adjective /ʌnˈblʌʃɪŋ/

Unblushing

effronté; sans vergogne
Meaning
showing no shame or embarrassment; boldly shameless
Example
He told the unblushing lie without any hesitation.
Il a dit le mensonge effronté sans hésitation.
C2 verb /ˈmɒtl/

mottle

moucheté
Meaning
To mark with spots or patches of color.
Example
The leaves were mottled with shades of yellow and brown.
Les feuilles étaient marquées de taches jaunes et brunes.
C2 noun /pɜːrtʃt raɪs/

Perched rice

riz soufflé
Meaning
puffed rice; rice that has been heated and puffed into light, crispy grains
Example
I enjoy eating puffed rice as a healthy snack.
J'aime manger du riz soufflé comme collation saine.
C2 adjective /ˈpruːdɪʃ/

prudish

prude
Meaning
having or revealing a tendency to be easily shocked by matters relating to sex or nudity
Example
She was too prudish to watch the movie with her friends.
Elle était trop prude pour regarder le film avec ses amis.
C2 verb /ˈpælieɪt/

palliate

atténuer
Meaning
to make a disease, symptoms, or problem less severe without removing the cause
Example
The doctor prescribed medicine to palliate the patient's pain.
Le médecin a prescrit des médicaments pour atténuer la douleur du patient.
C2 noun /ˌfoʊ.nəˈlɑː.dʒi/

phonology

phonologie
Meaning
the study of the sound system of a language
Example
She is studying phonology to understand how sounds function in English.
Elle étudie la phonologie pour comprendre comment les sons fonctionnent en anglais.
C2 noun /ˌser.əˈbreɪ.ʃən/

cerebration

cérébration
Meaning
the process of thinking or using the brain actively
Example
The lecture sparked intense cerebration among the students.
La conférence a suscité une intense cérébration parmi les étudiants.
C2 adjective /ˌmæləˈdrɔɪt/

maladroit

maladroit
Meaning
clumsy or awkward in movement or behavior
Example
His maladroit attempt at fixing the chair made it worse.
Sa tentative maladroite de réparer la chaise l'a empirée.
C2 adjective /ˌaɪdəˈlɑːtrɪəs/

idolatrious

idolâtre
Meaning
Excessively devoted or reverent towards idols or false gods.
Example
The ancient tribe was known for its idolatrious practices.
La tribu ancienne était connue pour ses pratiques idolâtres.
C2 verb /ˈpɜːrdʒər/

perjure

parjurer
Meaning
To knowingly tell a lie in a court of law after swearing to tell the truth.
Example
He was accused of trying to perjure himself during the trial.
Il a été accusé d'avoir essayé de parjurer pendant le procès.
C2 noun /ˈliː.vɪŋz/

Leavings

restes; restes de repas
Meaning
things that have been left behind or remain; remnants or scraps
Example
The leavings from dinner were given to the dog.
Les restes du dîner ont été donnés au chien.
C2 noun /ˈkoʊ.tə.ri/

coterie

un petit groupe exclusif
Meaning
a small, exclusive group of people with shared interests
Example
He belonged to a coterie of artists who met every Friday.
Il faisait partie d'un groupe d'artistes qui se réunissaient chaque vendredi.
C2 adjective /ˈæməˌtɔːri/

amatory

amoureux
Meaning
Relating to or expressing sexual love.
Example
The poet’s verses were filled with amatory themes.
Les vers du poète étaient remplis de thèmes amoureux.
C2 noun /ˈfænˌtæzəm/

phantasm

fantôme
Meaning
an illusion, ghost, or figment of the imagination
Example
The child claimed to see a phantasm in the old house.
L'enfant prétendait avoir vu un fantôme dans la vieille maison.
C2 adjective/noun /ˌhaɪərəˈɡlɪfɪk/

hieroglyphic

hiéroglyphique
Meaning
Relating to or written in hieroglyphs; symbols or writing that is difficult to understand.
Example
The archaeologists studied the hieroglyphic inscriptions carefully.
Les archéologues ont étudié les inscriptions hiéroglyphiques avec soin.
C2 verb /kənˈvoʊk/

convoke

convocation
Meaning
to call together or summon a meeting or assembly
Example
The committee convoked an emergency session to discuss the crisis.
Le comité a convoqué une session d'urgence pour discuter de la crise.
C2 noun /kəˈbɑːdi/

kabadi

ferrailleur
Meaning
a person who collects and sells scrap or recyclable materials, especially in South Asia
Example
The kabadi came every week to collect old newspapers and bottles.
Le ferrailleur collecte des objets usagés.
C2 noun /ˈboʊsən/

boatswain

officier de bord
Meaning
a ship's officer in charge of equipment and the crew
Example
The boatswain supervised the sailors on deck.
Le bôt-swên a supervisé les marins sur le pont.
C2 noun /pʌɡˈnæsɪti/

pugnacity

pugnacité
Meaning
A natural disposition to be combative or aggressive.
Example
The coach admired the player's pugnacity on the field.
L'entraîneur admirait la pugnacité du joueur sur le terrain.
C2 adjective /ˈstɒlɪd/

stolid

impassible, stoïque
Meaning
Calm, dependable, and showing little emotion or animation.
Example
Despite the chaos around him, he remained stolid and composed.
Malgré le chaos autour de lui, il resta calme et posé.
C2 verb /slʌf/ or /sluː/

slough

mue de peau / zone marécageuse
Meaning
To shed or cast off (like dead skin); also a swampy or muddy area.
Example
The snake sloughed off its old skin.
Le serpent s'est débarrassé de sa vieille peau.
C2 noun /ˈbɛnɪfɪs/

benefice

bénéfice ecclésiastique
Meaning
a permanent church appointment for which property and income are provided
Example
The bishop appointed him to a wealthy benefice.
L'évêque l'a nommé à un bénéfice ecclésiastique riche.
C2 noun /ˈlɪθəˌɡræf/

lithograph

lithographie (impression sur pierre)
Meaning
a print made by lithography, often artistic
Example
The museum displayed a rare lithograph from the 19th century.
Le musée a exposé une lithographie rare du 19e siècle.
C2 adjective /ɡrʌf/

gruff

rude
Meaning
Rough or stern in manner, speech, or voice.
Example
Despite his gruff manner, he was very kind-hearted.
Malgré son comportement rude, il était très gentil.
C2 noun /nɛl/

knell

glas
Meaning
The sound of a bell, especially when rung solemnly for a death or funeral; a signal of the end or failure of something.
Example
The knell of the church bell echoed through the valley at dusk.
Le glas de l'église résonnait à travers la vallée au crépuscule.
C2 noun /ˈklærɪən/

Clarion

clairon
Meaning
a shrill narrow-tubed war trumpet; a medieval trumpet with a clear piercing tone
Example
The clarion sounded across the battlefield to signal the charge.
Le clairon a retenti à travers le champ de bataille pour signaler l'attaque.
C2 noun /roʊˈtʌn.də/

rotunda

bâtiment circulaire
Meaning
a large circular building or hall, often with a dome
Example
Tourists gathered inside the grand rotunda of the capitol.
Les touristes se sont réunis à l'intérieur de la grande rotonde du capitole.
C2 noun /ˌsɪnjuˈɒsɪti/

sinuosity

sinuité
Meaning
The quality or state of being winding, curving, or having many turns.
Example
The sinuosity of the river made navigation challenging.
La sinuité du fleuve rendait la navigation difficile.
C2 adjective /ˌsuːdəˈrɪfɪk/

sudorific

sudorifique
Meaning
causing or increasing sweating
Example
The doctor prescribed a sudorific drug to help reduce the fever.
Le médecin a prescrit un médicament sudorifique pour réduire la fièvre.
C2 adjective ɪnˈfiː.zə.bəl

infeasible

infaisable
Meaning
Not possible to do easily or conveniently; impracticable.
Example
Restoring the forest may become infeasible if destruction continues.
Restaurer la forêt peut devenir infaisable si la destruction continue.
C2 adjective /ˌæl.ɪˈmen.tər.i/

alimentary

relatif à la digestion
Meaning
relating to nourishment or the organs of digestion
Example
The doctor explained the role of the alimentary canal in digestion.
Le médecin a expliqué le rôle du canal alimentaire dans la digestion.
C2 noun /ˈmʌrɪn/

murrain

maladie infectieuse du bétail
Meaning
An infectious disease that affects cattle and other animals, often fatal.
Example
The farmer lost many cows during the outbreak of murrain.
Le fermier a perdu de nombreuses vaches lors de l'épidémie de murrain.
C2 verb /bɪˈleɪ/

belay

sécuriser une corde
Meaning
to secure a rope by winding it around an object; to stop or cancel an order (nautical/military use)
Example
The climber asked his partner to belay the rope tightly.
L'escaladeur a demandé à son partenaire de sécuriser la corde serrée.
C2 adjective /ˈɡɛə.rɪʃ/

garish

excessivement brillant et voyant
Meaning
Excessively bright and showy, often in a tasteless or unattractive way.
Example
The room was decorated with garish neon lights.
La pièce était décorée avec des lumières néon excessivement brillantes.
C2 noun /hʌsk/

husk

enveloppe
Meaning
the dry outer covering of some fruits or seeds
Example
The corn husk was peeled away before cooking.
L'enveloppe de maïs a été pelée avant la cuisson.
C2 noun ˈɒpjʊləns

opulence

opulence
Meaning
Great wealth or luxuriousness.
Example
The opulence of the mansion was evident in its ornate furnishings.
L'opulence du manoir était évidente dans ses meubles ornés.
C2 noun /ˈreɪdɪks/

radix

base
Meaning
the base or root of something; the number on which a system of numeration is built
Example
In mathematics, the decimal system has a radix of ten.
En mathématiques, le système décimal a une base de dix.
C2 verb /rɛst/

wrest

arracher de force
Meaning
to forcibly pull something from a person's grasp; to seize with effort or struggle
Example
The police had to wrest the weapon from the suspect's hand.
La police a dû arracher l'arme des mains du suspect.
C2 adjective /kəˈdævərəs/

cadaverous

cadavérique
Meaning
Resembling a corpse; very pale, thin, or bony.
Example
His cadaverous appearance shocked everyone at the party.
Son apparence cadavérique a choqué tout le monde à la fête.
C2 adjective, noun /bɪˈtroʊðd/

betrothed

fiancé
Meaning
Engaged to be married; a person who is engaged.
Example
She introduced him as her betrothed.
Elle l'a présenté comme son fiancé.
C2 noun /ˈiːsθiːt/ or /ˈɛsθiːt/

aesthete

esthète
Meaning
A person who has a special appreciation of art and beauty.
Example
The aesthete admired the subtle details of the painting.
L'esthète admirait les détails subtils de la peinture.
C2 adjective /dɪˈluːsəri/

delusory

illusoires
Meaning
Based on illusion; not real.
Example
He was filled with delusory hopes of becoming famous overnight.
Il était rempli de faux espoirs de devenir célèbre du jour au lendemain.
C2 adjective /ˌɪndɪˈsɒljʊbl/

indissoluble

Indissoluble
Meaning
Unable to be destroyed, broken, or dissolved.
Example
Marriage was once considered an indissoluble bond.
Le mariage était autrefois considéré comme un lien indissoluble.
C2 noun /ˈfiːəlti/

fealty

fidélité et allégeance
Meaning
loyalty or allegiance, especially to a sovereign or lord
Example
The knight swore fealty to his king.
Le chevalier prêta fidélité à son roi.
C2 adjective /ˈtræktəbəl/

tractable

facile à contrôler ou influencer
Meaning
easy to control or influence
Example
The child was surprisingly tractable during the long journey.
L'enfant était étonnamment facile à contrôler pendant le long voyage.
C2 noun /əˈdjuː/

adieu

adieu
Meaning
A farewell or goodbye, often used in a formal or poetic sense.
Example
She bid her friends adieu before leaving for France.
Elle fit ses adieux à ses amis avant de partir pour la France.
C2 verb /ˈɡræn.jʊ.leɪt/

granulate

granuler
Meaning
To form or cause to form into grains or small particles.
Example
The sugar began to granulate as it cooled.
Le sucre a commencé à se granuler lorsqu'il a refroidi.
C2 adjective /sɪˈbeɪʃəs/

sebaceous

relatif au sébum
Meaning
Relating to or secreting sebum, an oily substance from the skin.
Example
Acne is often caused by overactive sebaceous glands.
L'acné est souvent causée par des glandes sébacées hyperactives.
C2 noun /ˈkætɪˌkɪzəm/

catechism

catéchisme
Meaning
A summary of religious principles often in the form of questions and answers; also a set of fixed questions or beliefs.
Example
The priest taught the children the catechism every Sunday.
Le prêtre a enseigné aux enfants le catéchisme chaque dimanche.
C2 adjective /kəˈprɪʃəs/

capricious

capricieux
Meaning
given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior
Example
The stock market can be capricious, shifting dramatically without warning.
Le marché boursier peut être capricieux, changeant de manière spectaculaire sans avertissement.
C2 adjective, noun /ˈɡreɪtɪŋ/

grating

son désagréable / grille métallique
Meaning
Harsh and unpleasant to the senses, especially sound; a framework of bars covering an opening.
Example
The teacher's grating voice made it hard to concentrate.
La voix désagréable de l'enseignant rendait la concentration difficile.
C2 adjective /ˈsfɪŋks laɪk/

sphinx-like

mystérieux
Meaning
Mysterious, enigmatic, or difficult to interpret
Example
Her sphinx-like smile made it hard to guess what she was thinking.
Son sourire sphinx-like rendait difficile de deviner ce qu'elle pensait.
C2 noun /ˈsaɪ.ə.lɪz.əm/

sciolism

prétention de savoir superficiel
Meaning
pretentious show of superficial knowledge
Example
His speech was full of sciolism, impressing no one.
Son discours était rempli de sciolisme, sans impressionner personne.
C2 noun /ˈɛmbəˌlɪzəm/

embolism

embolie
Meaning
the sudden blockage of a blood vessel by a clot or other foreign matter
Example
The patient suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism.
Le patient a souffert d'une embolie pulmonaire fatale.
C2 noun /ˈfriːˌbuːtər/

freebooter

flibustier
Meaning
A pirate or plunderer who roams freely in search of wealth.
Example
The freebooter raided the merchant ships along the coast.
Le flibustier a attaqué les navires marchands le long de la côte.
C2 noun /ˌsɒ̃ˈfrwɑː/

sangfroid

sang-froid
Meaning
Composure or coolness under pressure.
Example
She impressed everyone with her sangfroid during the interview.
Elle a impressionné tout le monde par son sang-froid pendant l'entretien.
C2 noun /ˈɡɜːrdər/

girder

poutre (en acier)
Meaning
a large, strong beam used to support buildings or bridges
Example
The steel girders held the weight of the bridge.
Les poutres en acier ont soutenu le poids du pont.
C2 adjective /ˈæsənənt/

assonant

assonant
Meaning
Having or characterized by assonance; repeating similar vowel sounds.
Example
The poem is filled with assonant words that create a musical rhythm.
Le poème est rempli de mots assonants qui créent un rythme musical.
C2 noun /ˈneɪvəri/

knavery

fourberie
Meaning
dishonest or deceitful behavior; trickery
Example
The politician’s knavery was exposed by the media.
La fourberie du politicien a été exposée par les médias.
C2 noun /kɪθ/

kith

amis
Meaning
Friends, acquaintances, and relations.
Example
He invited all his kith and kin to the wedding.
Il a invité tous ses amis et sa famille au mariage.
C2 noun /rɪˈɡætə/

regatta

régate
Meaning
A sporting event consisting of a series of boat or yacht races.
Example
The annual regatta attracted competitors from around the world.
La régate annuelle a attiré des concurrents du monde entier.
C2 noun /ˈænθrəsaɪt/

anthracite

charbon anthracite
Meaning
A hard, shiny form of coal that burns with little smoke and a high heat value.
Example
The factory used anthracite as its primary fuel source.
L'usine utilisait de l'anthracite comme source principale de combustible.
C2 noun /ˈɛnsaɪn/

ensign

drapeau
Meaning
A flag or standard, especially a military or naval one indicating nationality; also a junior officer in the navy or coast guard.
Example
The ship raised its national ensign before leaving the harbor.
Le navire a hissé son drapeau national avant de quitter le port.
C2 verb /ˈsnɪvəl/

snivel

pleurer ou se plaindre d'une manière faible ou agaçante
Meaning
to cry or complain in a weak or annoying way
Example
He began to snivel when he didn’t get his way.
Il a commencé à pleurer quand il n'a pas obtenu ce qu'il voulait.
C2 noun /ˌmɑːhəˈrɑːdʒə/

maharaja

maharaja
Meaning
A great king, especially a ruler of one of the principal states in India.
Example
The maharaja lived in a grand palace surrounded by gardens.
Le maharaja vivait dans un grand palais entouré de jardins.
C2 verb /ˈæktʃueɪt/

actuate

activer
Meaning
to put into action or motion; to motivate or activate
Example
The engineer actuated the machine with a simple switch.
L'ingénieur a activé la machine avec un simple interrupteur.
C2 noun /ˈpɛntəˌɡræm/

pentagram

pentagramme
Meaning
A five-pointed star often used as a symbol in magic, mysticism, or religion.
Example
The wizard drew a pentagram on the floor as part of the ritual.
Le magicien a tracé un pentagramme sur le sol dans le cadre du rituel.
C2 adjective ɪnˈdɒm.ɪ.tə.bəl

indomitable

indomptable
Meaning
Impossible to subdue or defeat.
Example
Her indomitable spirit helped her overcome adversity.
Son esprit indomptable l'a aidée à surmonter l'adversité.
C2 noun ˈbaɪəʊˌsaɪd

biocide

biocide
Meaning
A chemical substance or microorganism intended to destroy, deter, render harmless, or exert a controlling effect on any harmful organism.
Example
Biocides help control pests and reduce the spread of diseases.
Les biocides aident à contrôler les ravageurs et à réduire la propagation des maladies.
C2 noun /ˈɔːtɑːrki/

autarchy

autarcie
Meaning
A system of self-sufficiency where a state or community is economically independent.
Example
The nation attempted autarchy to reduce reliance on imports.
La nation a tenté l'autarcie pour réduire la dépendance aux importations.
C2 noun /ˈrɛlɪkwɛri/

reliquary

reliquaire
Meaning
a container for holy relics
Example
The ancient reliquary was decorated with gold and precious stones.
Le reliquaire ancien était décoré d'or et de pierres précieuses.
C2 adjective /tɛnˈdɛnʃəs/

tendentious

partisan
Meaning
Expressing or promoting a particular cause or point of view, often biased.
Example
The article was criticized for its tendentious tone.
L'article a été critiqué pour son ton partisan.
C2 noun /ɒkˈteɪvoʊ/

octavo

octavo (taille de livre obtenue en pliant une feuille en huit parties)
Meaning
A size of book page resulting from folding a sheet of paper into eight leaves (sixteen pages).
Example
The old library contained rare octavo editions of Shakespeare.
La vieille bibliothèque contenait des éditions rares en octavo de Shakespeare.
C2 noun /ˈlɪɡ.ə.tʃər/

ligature

ligature
Meaning
A thing used for tying or binding tightly; in music/printing, two or more notes or letters joined together.
Example
The doctor used a ligature to stop the bleeding.
Le médecin a utilisé une ligature pour arrêter le saignement.
C2 adjective /ɪkˈspɒzɪtəri/

expository

expositif
Meaning
intended to explain or describe something
Example
The teacher gave an expository lecture on the topic.
Le professeur a donné une conférence expositive sur le sujet.
C2 noun /ˈspæŋɡəl/

spangle

paillettes
Meaning
A small shiny piece of metal or plastic used for decoration on clothes.
Example
Her dress was covered with silver spangles that glittered in the light.
Sa robe était couverte de paillettes argentées qui brillaient à la lumière.
C2 verb /ˌsɜːrkəmˈnævɪɡeɪt/

circumnavigate

faire le tour du monde
Meaning
to travel all the way around something, especially the earth
Example
Magellan was the first to circumnavigate the globe.
Magellan fut le premier à faire le tour du monde.
C2 noun /ˈhæk.ni ˈkær.ɪdʒ/

Hackney carriage

voiture de location
Meaning
A taxi; a car licensed to carry passengers for hire
Example
I called a hackney carriage to get to the airport.
J'ai appelé une voiture de location pour aller à l'aéroport.
C2 adjective /rɪˈfræktəri/

refractory

réfractaire
Meaning
Stubborn or resistant to control, authority, or treatment.
Example
The refractory child refused to follow the teacher's instructions.
L'enfant réfractaire a refusé de suivre les instructions du professeur.
C2 adverb /ɪkˈstem.pɔːr/

Extempore

spontané; improvisé
Meaning
without preparation; spontaneously; improvised
Example
The speaker delivered an impressive extempore speech at the conference.
Le conférencier a prononcé un discours extemporané impressionnant à la conférence.
C2 adjective /ˈbʌsti/

busty

à forte poitrine
Meaning
having a large or full bust; describing a woman with a prominent chest
Example
The actress was often described as busty in fashion magazines.
L’actrice était souvent décrite comme à forte poitrine dans les magazines de mode.
C2 noun /ˈɑːriə/

aria

pièce vocale solo
Meaning
a solo vocal piece with instrumental accompaniment, typically in an opera
Example
The soprano performed a moving aria during the second act.
La soprano a interprété une aria émouvante lors du deuxième acte.
C2 verb /ˈdæli/

dally

traîner
Meaning
To act or move slowly; to waste time; also to engage in a casual romantic relationship.
Example
He dallied in the garden instead of starting his work.
Il a traîné dans le jardin au lieu de commencer son travail.
C2 adjective /ˈblɪŋkəd/

blinkered

borné
Meaning
Having a limited or narrow outlook; unable or unwilling to consider other perspectives.
Example
His blinkered attitude stopped him from seeing the bigger picture.
Son attitude bornée l'a empêché de voir le tableau d'ensemble.
C2 adjective /ˌɪndɪˈsɜːrnəbl/

indiscernible

indiscernable
Meaning
Impossible or difficult to see, notice, or distinguish.
Example
The difference between the two shades was almost indiscernible.
La différence entre les deux teintes était presque indiscernable.
C2 adjective /ˈven.tʃər.əs/

Venturous

aventurier; audacieux
Meaning
willing to take risks; adventurous; bold
Example
The venturous explorer climbed the dangerous mountain.
L'explorateur audacieux a grimpé la montagne dangereuse.
C2 adjective ˌpɜː.spɪˈkeɪ.ʃəs

perspicacious

perspicace
Meaning
Having keen insight and understanding; showing acute mental discernment.
Example
The detective's perspicacious nature helped solve the mystery.
La nature perspicace du détective a aidé à résoudre le mystère.
C2 verb (archaic/rare) /rɛk/

reck

se soucier
Meaning
To care about or be concerned with (something); to have regard for.
Example
He does not reck the dangers of his actions.
Il ne se soucie pas des dangers de ses actions.
C2 noun /ˈtændʒənsi/

tangency

tangence
Meaning
the condition of touching but not intersecting, especially in geometry
Example
The circle and the line are in a state of tangency at one point.
Le cercle et la ligne sont en état de tangence en un point.
C2 noun /ænˈtɪstrəfi/

antistrophe

antistrophé (un dispositif rhétorique)
Meaning
A rhetorical device in which a word or phrase is repeated at the end of successive clauses; in Greek choral poetry, the part of the ode sung by the chorus in return movement.
Example
The poet used antistrophe to emphasize the repeated phrase.
Le poète a utilisé l'antistrophé pour souligner la phrase répétée.
C2 verb /ˈʌndərˌmæn/

underman

manquer de personnel
Meaning
to supply with fewer workers or personnel than needed
Example
The hospital was undermanned during the flu outbreak.
L'hôpital était sous-effectif pendant l'épidémie de grippe.
C2 noun /ˈlɪbərəlɪst/

liberalist

libéraliste
Meaning
a person who supports liberal ideas and principles
Example
He is a well-known liberalist advocating human rights.
Il est un libéraliste bien connu qui défend les droits de l'homme.
C2 noun /ˈdʒɛntaɪl/

gentile

gentil
Meaning
A person who is not Jewish
Example
The synagogue welcomed both Jews and Gentiles.
La synagogue a accueilli à la fois les juifs et les gentils.
C2 noun /ˈlɪmərɪk/

limerick

un poème humoristique en cinq vers
Meaning
a humorous five-line poem with a specific rhythm and rhyme scheme (AABBA).
Example
She recited a funny limerick at the party.
Elle a récité un limerick amusant à la fête.
C2 noun /ˈmɒnəɡrɑːf/

monograph

monographie
Meaning
A detailed written study of a single specialized subject or aspect of it.
Example
The professor published a monograph on ancient pottery.
Le professeur a publie une monographie sur la poterie antique.
C2 noun /ˈpɛnjʊri/

penury

pauvreté extrême
Meaning
extreme poverty or destitution
Example
He grew up in penury but became successful later in life.
Il a grandi dans la pénurie, mais il est devenu prospère plus tard dans la vie.
C2 verb /əˈɡrɛs/

aggress

agresser
Meaning
to initiate an attack or show hostile behavior
Example
The army chose not to aggress without provocation.
L'armée a choisi de ne pas agresser sans provocation.
C2 noun /rɪˈfɛkʃən/

refection

repas / alimentation
Meaning
a meal or the act of taking food and drink
Example
The monks gathered for their evening refection.
Les moines se sont réunis pour leur repas du soir.
C2 noun /kənˈtɔːrʃənz/

contortions

pluriel de contorsion; plusieurs formes tordues ou déformées
Meaning
plural form of contortion; multiple twisted or bent shapes
Example
The magician's contortions left the crowd in awe.
Les contorsions du magicien ont laissé la foule bouche bée.