scarify
All a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
All CEFR A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2
Content locale
EN Anglais BN Bengali HI Hindi ES Espagnol FR Français DE Allemand RU Russe ZH Chinois JA Japonais
All Vocabulary Cards All Vocabularies
C2 verb /ˈskærɪfaɪ/

scarify

scarifier
Meaning
to make shallow cuts or scratches; to loosen the surface of soil
Example
The farmer scarified the soil before planting seeds.
L'agriculteur a scarifié le sol avant de planter les graines.
C2 adjective /səˈluːtəˌtɔri/

salutatory

discours de salutation
Meaning
Relating to or expressing a greeting or an address, especially at the beginning of a speech.
Example
She delivered a salutatory address at the graduation ceremony.
Elle a prononcé un discours de salutation lors de la cérémonie de remise des diplômes.
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 adjective /splɪˈnɛtɪk/

splenetic

irritable, colérique
Meaning
bad-tempered, irritable, spiteful
Example
His splenetic remarks offended everyone in the room.
Ses remarques colériques ont offensé tout le monde dans la pièce.
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 /ˈsʌbtərˌfjuːdʒ/

subterfuge

subterfuge
Meaning
Deceit used to achieve one's goal; a trick or excuse to evade something.
Example
They used subterfuge to avoid paying taxes.
Ils ont utilisé le subterfuge pour éviter de payer des impôts.
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 noun /skæd/

scad

scad poisson
Meaning
A type of fish of the jack family; also informally means a large number or quantity.
Example
The fisherman caught a scad in the net.
Le pêcheur a attrapé un scad dans le filet.
C2 noun /ˈsɪbɪləns/

sibilance

son sifflant
Meaning
A hissing or hushing sound, especially in speech with 's' or 'sh'.
Example
The poet used sibilance to create a soft, hissing effect in the verse.
Le poète a utilisé la sibilance pour créer un effet doux et sifflant dans le vers.
C2 verb /swɪl/

swill

boire goulûment
Meaning
to drink something greedily or in large amounts
Example
He swilled down the beer in seconds.
Il a bu la bière en quelques secondes.
C2 noun /skriːd/

screed

écrit long et ennuyeux
Meaning
a long, tedious piece of writing or speech; also a layer of material like cement spread on a surface
Example
He delivered a long screed against corruption.
Il a livré un long discours contre la corruption.
C2 noun/verb /sluːs/

sluice

porte d'eau / rincer
Meaning
A sliding gate for controlling the flow of water; to wash or rinse with water in large quantities.
Example
The workers sluiced the mud off the street after the heavy rain.
Les travailleurs ont nettoyé la boue de la rue après la forte pluie.
C2 adjective /sɪˈlæbɪk/

syllabic

syllabique
Meaning
Relating to or based on syllables.
Example
The teacher explained the syllabic structure of the word.
Le professeur a expliqué la structure syllabique du mot.
C2 adjective /svelt/

svelte

svelte
Meaning
Attractively thin, graceful, and elegant in appearance or movement.
Example
She looked svelte in the elegant black dress.
Elle avait l'air svelte dans la robe noire élégante.
C2 adjective /ˌsæsərˈdoʊtl/

sacerdotal

sacerdotal
Meaning
Relating to priests or the priesthood.
Example
The ritual had a distinctly sacerdotal character.
Le rituel avait un caractère distinctement sacerdotal.
C2 adjective /ˈsætərˌnaɪn/

saturnine

saturnien
Meaning
slow and gloomy in mood
Example
His saturnine expression made everyone in the room uncomfortable.
Son expression saturnienne rendait tout le monde dans la pièce mal à l'aise.
C2 noun /ˌskʌlˈdʌɡəri/

skullduggery

supercherie
Meaning
dishonest behavior or activities, often done secretly
Example
The election was full of political skullduggery.
L'élection était pleine de supercheries politiques.
C2 noun /sɪˈmɪlɪtjuːd/

Similitude

similitude; ressemblance
Meaning
the quality or state of being similar; resemblance
Example
The similitude between the two paintings suggested they were by the same artist.
La similitude entre les deux peintures a suggéré qu'elles avaient été réalisées par le même artiste.
C2 noun /ˈslæt.ən/

slattern

femme négligée
Meaning
a woman who is untidy or slovenly in appearance or habits
Example
The house looked as if a slattern lived there.
La maison avait l'air d'avoir une femme négligée qui y vivait.
C2 verb /ˌsuːpərˈæn.ju.eɪt/

superannuate

retirer avec pension
Meaning
to retire someone with a pension, usually due to age or long service
Example
The company decided to superannuate its senior employees after thirty years of service.
L'entreprise a décidé de retirer avec pension ses employés seniors après trente ans de service.
C2 noun səˈtaɪ.ə.ti

satiety

satiété
Meaning
The feeling of being satisfied or full, especially with regard to food.
Example
High-fiber foods provide longer satiety.
Les aliments riches en fibres procurent une plus grande satiété.
C2 noun /ˈsɪŋ.krə.ni/

synchrony

synchronie
Meaning
Coordination in time, harmony in action or movement.
Example
Their dance performance showed perfect synchrony.
Leurs performances de danse ont montré une synchronie parfaite.
C2 adjective /ˈspaɪnəs/

spinous

épineux
Meaning
Having spines or thorn-like projections
Example
The spinous cactus was difficult to handle without gloves.
Le cactus épineux était difficile à manipuler sans gants.
C2 adjective /səˈprɛsəbl̩/

suppressible

réprimable
Meaning
capable of being restrained, controlled, or prevented
Example
The symptoms of the disease are suppressible with medication.
Les symptômes de la maladie sont supprimables avec des médicaments.
C2 adjective /ˈsɪŋkəˌpeɪtɪd/

syncopated

syncopé
Meaning
Characterized by displaced beats or rhythms, especially in music.
Example
The jazz piece had a syncopated rhythm that energized the crowd.
Le morceau de jazz avait un rythme syncopé qui a énergisé la foule.
C2 verb /ˈstʌltɪfaɪ/

stultify

rendre quelqu'un ou quelque chose stupide ou nuire à l'efficacité et à l'enthousiasme
Meaning
to make someone or something appear foolish, or to hinder effectiveness and enthusiasm
Example
The repetitive tasks seemed to stultify the workers' creativity.
Les tâches répétitives semblaient rendre les travailleurs moins créatifs.
C2 noun /ˈsɪŋkrəˌnɪzəm/

synchronism

synchronisme
Meaning
The simultaneous occurrence of events or actions.
Example
The synchronism of the dancers' movements amazed the audience.
Le synchronisme des mouvements des danseurs a émerveillé le public.
C2 noun /ˈspɛndˌθrɪft/

spendthrift

dépensier
Meaning
A person who spends money extravagantly or wastefully.
Example
The young prince was known as a spendthrift, wasting his fortune on lavish parties.
Le jeune prince était connu comme un dépensier, gaspillant sa fortune dans des fêtes somptueuses.
C2 noun /slaɪt/

sleight

habileté
Meaning
Skill or dexterity, especially in performing tricks.
Example
The magician amazed the crowd with his sleight of hand.
Le magicien a étonné la foule avec son habileté des mains.
C2 noun /ˈsɜːrfɪt/

surfeit

excès
Meaning
an excessive amount of something
Example
There was a surfeit of food at the festival.
Il y avait un excès de nourriture au festival.
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 verb /seɪt/

sate

satisfaire
Meaning
To satisfy fully or to excess.
Example
The huge meal sated their hunger after the long journey.
Le gros repas a satisfait leur faim après le long voyage.
C2 adjective /ˈseɪpiənt/

sapient

sage
Meaning
Wise, or appearing to be wise.
Example
The professor gave a sapient response to the complex question.
Le professeur a donné une réponse sage à la question complexe.
C2 noun /ˈsaʊər wʊd ˈæp.əl/

Sour wood apple

pomme d'éléphant
Meaning
a tropical fruit with hard shell and tangy flesh; elephant apple
Example
The sour wood apple has a unique taste that many people enjoy.
La pomme d'éléphant a un goût unique que beaucoup de gens apprécient.
C2 noun /ˈsɪbəraɪt/

sybarite

sybarite
Meaning
a person who loves luxury and pleasure
Example
The millionaire was a true sybarite who lived only for comfort and enjoyment.
Le millionnaire était un véritable sybarite qui vivait uniquement pour le confort et le plaisir.
C2 adjective /ˈstɪdʒiən/

stygian

sombre
Meaning
extremely dark, gloomy, or forbidding
Example
They walked through the stygian cave with torches.
Ils marchaient à travers la grotte sombre avec des torches.
C2 adjective /səˈleɪʃəs/

salacious

lascif
Meaning
Having or conveying undue or inappropriate sexual interest.
Example
The tabloid published a salacious story about the celebrity.
Le tabloïd a publié une histoire lascive sur la célébrité.
C2 noun /ˈʃɑːdənfrɔɪdə/

schadenfreude

plaisir dérivé du malheur d'autrui
Meaning
pleasure derived from another person's misfortune
Example
He felt a sense of schadenfreude when his rival failed.
Il a ressenti un sentiment de schadenfreude lorsque son rival a échoué.
C2 adjective /ˈstɜːr.tər.əs/

stertorous

ronflement bruyant
Meaning
Characterized by heavy snoring or breathing.
Example
The patient’s stertorous breathing alarmed the nurses.
La respiration stertoreuse du patient a alarmé les infirmières.
C2 noun /ˈskʌl.i.ən/

scullion

valet de cuisine
Meaning
a servant assigned the most menial kitchen tasks
Example
In medieval times, a scullion was responsible for cleaning pots and pans.
Au Moyen Âge, un scullion était responsable du nettoyage des casseroles et des poêles.
C2 verb /ˈsʌk.əl/

suckle

allaiter
Meaning
to feed a baby or young animal with milk from the breast or udder
Example
The mother cat suckled her kittens in the basket.
La mère chat a allaité ses chatons dans le panier.
C2 adjective /ˈsɪmiən/

simian

simien
Meaning
Relating to, resembling, or affecting apes or monkeys.
Example
The scientist studied the simian behavior of the chimpanzees.
Le scientifique a étudié le comportement simien des chimpanzés.
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 /sɪˈrɒkoʊ/

sirocco

vent chaud et sec
Meaning
A hot, dry wind blowing from North Africa across the Mediterranean to southern Europe.
Example
The sirocco made the city unbearably hot and dusty.
Le sirocco a rendu la ville insupportablement chaude et poussiéreuse.
C2 noun /ˈspɒt.ɪd sneɪk hed/

Spotted snake head

poisson tête de serpent tachetée
Meaning
a type of freshwater fish with spotted markings and an elongated head resembling a snake
Example
The spotted snake head is a popular fish for aquaculture in South Asia.
Le poisson tête de serpent tachetée est populaire pour l'aquaculture en Asie du Sud.
C2 noun /sɛnˈsɔːrɪəm/

sensorium

centre sensoriel
Meaning
The part of the brain or mind concerned with the reception and interpretation of sensory stimuli.
Example
The patient’s sensorium was clouded after the accident.
Le sensorium du patient était brouillé après l'accident.
C2 adjective /ˈspiːʃəs/

specious

fallacieux
Meaning
Superficially plausible but actually false; misleading in appearance.
Example
The politician’s argument was specious, sounding convincing but lacking real evidence.
L'argument du politicien était fallacieux, il semblait convaincant mais manquait de preuves réelles.
C2 noun /ˈstrɪndʒənsi/

stringency

rigueur
Meaning
the quality of being strict, precise, or severe
Example
The stringency of the new rules surprised everyone.
La rigueur des nouvelles règles a surpris tout le monde.
C2 noun /sɪlf/

sylph

sylphide
Meaning
A mythical spirit of the air; also refers to a slender, graceful woman.
Example
She moved across the stage like a sylph, light and graceful.
Elle se déplaçait sur la scène comme une sylphide, légère et gracieuse.
C2 noun /ˈstrɪk.tʃər/

stricture

restriction, critique
Meaning
a restriction or limitation; a critical remark
Example
The new law placed a severe stricture on free speech.
La nouvelle loi a imposé une restriction sévère à la liberté d'expression.
C2 adjective /ˈsɪbɪlənt/

sibilant

avec un son sifflant
Meaning
Making or characterized by a hissing sound.
Example
The word 'snake' starts with a sibilant sound.
Le mot 'snake' commence par un son sifflant.
C2 noun /sɪˈnɛrəsɪs/

syneresis

synthérèse
Meaning
The contraction of two adjacent vowels into a single syllable or the separation of liquid from a gel.
Example
The yogurt showed syneresis when liquid separated on top.
Le yaourt a montré une synthérèse lorsque le liquide s'est séparé sur le dessus.
C2 noun /səbˈmɜːrʒən/

submersion

submersion
Meaning
the state of being under water
Example
The submersion of the fields lasted for several days after the heavy rain.
La submersion des champs a duré plusieurs jours après la forte pluie.
C2 adjective /saɪˈdɪəriəl/

sidereal

sidéral
Meaning
Relating to the stars or constellations; measured relative to the stars.
Example
Astronomers use sidereal time to track the positions of stars.
Les astronomes utilisent le temps sidéral pour suivre les positions des étoiles.
C2 noun /ˈsɛnʃəns/

sentience

sensibilité
Meaning
The capacity to feel, perceive, or experience subjectively.
Example
Many argue that animals possess sentience.
Beaucoup soutiennent que les animaux possèdent la sensibilité.
C2 verb /skwɛltʃ/

squelch

faire un bruit mou, comme marcher dans la boue; réprimer ou faire taire
Meaning
to make a soft sucking sound, such as when walking on mud; to suppress or silence
Example
His boots squelched in the wet ground.
Ses bottes faisaient un bruit de squelch sur le sol mouillé.
C2 verb /sɛkˈstuːpəl/

sextuple

sextupler
Meaning
to make or become six times as great or as many
Example
Within two quarters, the campaign sextupled their daily sign-ups.
En deux trimestres, la campagne a sextuplé leurs inscriptions quotidiennes.
C2 adjective /sʌbˈlɪŋɡwəl/

sublingual

sublingual
Meaning
situated or applied under the tongue
Example
The doctor prescribed a sublingual tablet for faster absorption.
Le médecin a prescrit un comprimé sublingual pour une absorption plus rapide.
C2 noun /ˈseɪ.li.əns/

salience

saillance
Meaning
The quality of being particularly noticeable or important; prominence.
Example
The salience of the issue was highlighted in the debate.
La saillance de la question a été mise en évidence lors du débat.
C2 noun /ˈsɪnjuː/

sinew

tendon
Meaning
A tendon; figuratively, the source of strength, power, or resilience.
Example
The sinews in his arms stood out as he lifted the heavy box.
Les tendons dans ses bras ressortaient lorsqu'il souleva la boîte lourde.
C2 noun /ˈsweɪʒən/

suasion

persuasion
Meaning
the act of persuading or influencing someone
Example
The leader used gentle suasion to win support for the plan.
Le leader a utilisé une suasion douce pour obtenir le soutien pour le plan.
C2 adjective /ˌsæpəˈneɪʃəs/

saponaceous

savonneux
Meaning
Soapy or having the qualities of soap.
Example
The plant has saponaceous leaves that produce foam when rubbed in water.
La plante a des feuilles savonneuses qui produisent de la mousse lorsqu'elles sont frottées dans l'eau.
C2 noun /ˌsɪləbɪˈkeɪʃən/

syllabication

syllabation
Meaning
The division of words into syllables.
Example
Proper syllabication helps in correct pronunciation.
Une bonne syllabation aide à une prononciation correcte.
C2 verb /ˈsɪn.tɪ.leɪt/

scintillate

scintiller
Meaning
to sparkle or shine brightly; to emit flashes of light
Example
The diamond ring scintillated under the bright lights.
La bague en diamant scintillait sous les lumières brillantes.
C2 noun /ˈsɒfɪst/

sophist

sophiste
Meaning
a person who uses clever but misleading arguments
Example
He was dismissed as a sophist who twisted facts to win debates.
Il a été rejeté comme un sophiste qui déformait les faits pour gagner des débats.
C2 adjective /sɪmˈfoʊniəs/

symphonious

harmonieux
Meaning
Harmonious; producing a pleasant sound or agreement of sound.
Example
The choir's voices were symphonious and filled the hall with beauty.
Les voix du chœur étaient harmonieuses et remplissaient la salle de beauté.
C2 noun /ˌsɪɡnɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/

signification

signification
Meaning
the meaning or sense conveyed by a word, action, or symbol
Example
The signification of the gesture was misunderstood.
La signification du geste a été mal comprise.
C2 noun /ˈsælvər/

salver

plateau en argent
Meaning
A tray, typically made of silver, used for serving food or drinks.
Example
The butler brought in the tea on a silver salver.
Le majordome a apporté le thé sur un plateau en argent.
C2 noun /sɒl/

sol

sol (cinquième note de l'échelle musicale)
Meaning
The fifth note of the sol-fa musical scale (do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti); also the Latin word for sun
Example
The choir practiced singing the note sol during rehearsal.
Le chœur a pratiqué en chantant la note sol pendant les répétitions.
C2 adjective /ˈsæpɪd/

sapid

savoureux
Meaning
Having a pleasant taste; flavorful.
Example
The chef prepared a sapid dish that delighted everyone at the table.
Le chef a préparé un plat savoureux qui a enchanté tout le monde à table.
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 /ˌsuː.pɚˈfluː.ə.t̬i/

superfluity

superfluité
Meaning
An excessive amount of something; more than what is needed.
Example
The room was filled with a superfluity of decorations.
La pièce était remplie d'une superfluité de décorations.
C2 noun /ˈsætræp/

satrap

satrape
Meaning
a governor of a province in ancient Persia; also used figuratively for a subordinate ruler
Example
The king appointed a satrap to oversee the distant province.
Le roi nomma un satrape pour superviser la province éloignée.
C2 noun /sælv/

salve

baume
Meaning
An ointment used to promote healing of the skin or as protection.
Example
She applied a salve to the burn on her hand.
Elle a appliqué un baume sur la brûlure de sa main.
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 adjective /ˈsiːkwənt/

sequent

suivant
Meaning
Following in order or as a result.
Example
The sequent events changed the course of history.
Les événements suivants ont changé le cours de l'histoire.
C2 noun /ˈstiː.vəˌdɔːr/

stevedore

dockeur
Meaning
A person employed to load and unload cargo from ships.
Example
The stevedores worked tirelessly to unload the cargo before dawn.
Les dockeurs ont travaillé sans relâche pour décharger la cargaison avant l'aube.
C2 adjective /ˈslʌvənli/

slovenly

négligé
Meaning
Untidy or careless in appearance, habits, or work.
Example
His slovenly appearance made a bad impression at the interview.
Son apparence négligée a laissé une mauvaise impression lors de l'entretien.
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 /ˈsʌplɪˌkeɪt/

supplicate

supplier
Meaning
To ask for something earnestly or humbly, often in a religious context.
Example
The villagers supplicated the gods for rain during the drought.
Les villageois supplièrent les dieux pour la pluie pendant la sécheresse.
C2 adjective /sɪˈnæp.tɪk/

synaptic

synaptique
Meaning
Related to the signal transmission process between nerve cells.
Example
Learning strengthens synaptic connections in the brain.
L'apprentissage renforce les connexions synaptiques dans le cerveau.
C2 noun /ˈsɑːrdʒənt ət ɑːrmz/

sergeant-at-arms

sergent d'armes
Meaning
An officer responsible for maintaining order during meetings or legislative sessions.
Example
The sergeant-at-arms escorted the disruptive member out of the hall.
Le sergent d'armes a escorté le membre perturbateur hors de la salle.
C2 verb /sleɪk/

slake

étancher la soif
Meaning
To satisfy thirst or desire.
Example
She drank cold water to slake her thirst.
Elle a bu de l'eau froide pour étancher sa soif.
C2 adjective /ˈsmɑːrmi/

smarmy

flatteur / fausse politesse
Meaning
Excessively flattering or ingratiating, often insincerely.
Example
The salesman gave a smarmy pitch that felt fake.
Le vendeur a donné un discours flatteur qui semblait faux.
C2 noun /ˈsfɛrɔɪd/

spheroid

sphéroïde
Meaning
A three-dimensional shape that is almost spherical but slightly flattened or elongated.
Example
The Earth is not a perfect sphere but an oblate spheroid.
La Terre n'est pas une sphère parfaite mais un sphéroïde oblat.
C2 noun /ˈsʌfərəns/

sufferance

tolérance
Meaning
patient endurance of pain, hardship, or delay; passive consent or tolerance
Example
He lived in poverty with quiet sufferance.
Il vivait dans la pauvreté avec une tolérance silencieuse.
C2 noun /ˈstrɪplɪŋ/

stripling

jeune homme
Meaning
a young man who is not yet fully grown
Example
The stripling dreamed of becoming a brave knight.
Le jeune homme rêvait de devenir un chevalier courageux.
C2 verb /ˈstræɡəl/

straggle

se déplacer de manière irrégulière
Meaning
To move or spread in an irregular, scattered, or untidy way.
Example
The children began to straggle behind on the long hike.
Les enfants ont commencé à traîner derrière pendant la longue randonnée.
C2 adjective /ˈsɛrid/

serried

serré
Meaning
pressed or crowded together, often in rows or ranks
Example
The soldiers stood in serried ranks, ready for inspection.
Les soldats étaient en rangs serrés, prêts pour l'inspection.
C2 adjective /ˈsteɪ.dʒi/

stagy

trop théâtral
Meaning
Overly theatrical, artificial, or exaggerated in manner or style.
Example
Her performance felt stagy and unnatural.
Sa performance semblait trop théâtrale et artificielle.
C2 noun /ˈsʌfrədʒɪst/

suffragist

suffragiste
Meaning
a person advocating the extension of suffrage, especially to women
Example
The suffragists organized rallies to demand voting rights for women.
Les suffragistes ont organisé des rassemblements pour revendiquer le droit de vote pour les femmes.
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 adjective /ˌsɛm.iˈsɪv.ə.laɪzd/

semicivilized

semi-civilisé
Meaning
Partially civilized; having some aspects of civilization but not fully developed.
Example
The tribe was described as semicivilized by early explorers.
La tribu a été décrite comme semi-civilisée par les premiers explorateurs.
C2 verb /sweɪð/

swathe

envelopper
Meaning
To wrap or cover closely or completely.
Example
She swathed the baby in a soft blanket.
Elle enveloppa le bébé dans une couverture douce.
C2 noun /staɪn/

stein

mug à bière
Meaning
A large beer mug, typically made of glass or stoneware.
Example
He raised his stein to toast his friends.
Il a levé son stein pour porter un toast à ses amis.
C2 adjective /ˈslɪpʃɒd/

slipshod

négligé, bâclé
Meaning
done in a careless, sloppy, or untidy way
Example
The project failed due to slipshod planning.
Le projet a échoué en raison d'une planification négligée.
C2 adjective /sɛpˈtɛnɪəl/

septennial

septennal
Meaning
Occurring every seven years.
Example
The festival is a septennial tradition in the village.
Le festival est une tradition septennale dans le village.
C2 noun /ˈsteɪsɪs/ or /ˈstæsɪs/

stasis

stase
Meaning
A state of inactivity or equilibrium; a situation where nothing changes.
Example
The negotiations reached a state of stasis with no progress made.
Les négociations ont atteint un état de stase sans progrès.
C2 verb /səbˈsjuːm/

subsume

inclure
Meaning
To include or absorb something into a larger group or category.
Example
Minor details were subsumed under the main topic.
Les détails mineurs ont été subsumés sous le sujet principal.
C2 noun /seɪn/

seine

grand filet
Meaning
A large fishing net that hangs vertically in the water.
Example
The fishermen cast their seine into the river.
Les pêcheurs ont jeté leur grand filet dans la rivière.
C2 noun /ˈskɪz.əm/ or /ˈsɪz.əm/

schism

bonheur
Meaning
A division or split between strongly opposed parties, often in religion or organizations.
Example
The schism in the church led to the formation of two separate groups.
Elle n'a pas pu cacher son bonheur lorsqu'elle a reçu le prix.
C2 noun /ˈsɛrəf/

seraph

séraphin
Meaning
An angelic being associated with light and purity, often depicted as a high-ranking angel in Christian theology.
Example
The stained-glass window depicted a seraph with outstretched wings.
Le vitrail représentait un séraphin avec des ailes déployées.
C2 noun /səˈvɑːnt/

savant

bonheur
Meaning
a learned person, especially a distinguished scientist or scholar; sometimes used in the phrase ‘savant syndrome’ for someone with exceptional abilities alongside developmental differences
Example
The conference keynote was delivered by a linguistic savant who studies endangered languages.
Elle ne pouvait cacher sa bonheur lorsqu'elle a reçu le prix.
C2 adjective /spraɪ/

spry

dynamique
Meaning
active and lively, especially in old age
Example
The spry grandmother surprised everyone with her quick dance steps.
La grand-mère dynamique a surpris tout le monde avec ses pas de danse rapides.
C2 adjective /səˈræfɪk/

seraphic

angélique
Meaning
Of or like a seraph; angelic, pure, and blissful.
Example
She gave him a seraphic smile that calmed his fears.
Elle lui donna un sourire angélique qui calma ses peurs.
C2 adjective /ˈsɛpərəbəl/

separable

séparable
Meaning
Capable of being separated or divided.
Example
The two issues are separable and should be discussed independently.
Les deux problèmes sont séparables et doivent être discutés indépendamment.
C2 adjective /ˈsɑːdn/

sodden

saturé
Meaning
thoroughly soaked or saturated with liquid
Example
His clothes were sodden after the heavy rain.
Ses vêtements étaient saturés après la forte pluie.
C2 noun /ˌsæv.wɑːr ˈfeər/

savoir-faire

habileté sociale
Meaning
The ability to act or speak appropriately in social situations; polished social skills.
Example
She handled the delicate situation with remarkable savoir-faire.
Elle a géré la situation délicate avec un remarquable savoir-faire.
C2 noun ˈsaɪəns ˈdezət

science-desert

désert scientifique
Meaning
A region or area lacking in scientific development, research facilities, or educational institutions.
Example
J.C. Bose thrived in a science-desert.
J.C. Bose a prospéré dans un désert scientifique.
C2 noun /ˈstænʃən/

stanchion

poteau de support
Meaning
a strong upright bar or post used as support or to control movement
Example
The red rope was attached to the stanchions to guide the crowd.
La corde rouge était attachée aux stanchions pour guider la foule.
C2 adjective /ˈslæp.dæʃ/

slapdash

fait à la va-vite
Meaning
done too quickly and carelessly; hasty and careless
Example
The report was written in a slapdash manner, full of errors.
Le rapport a été rédigé à la va-vite, plein d'erreurs.
C2 noun /spʌndʒ ɡɔːrd/

Sponse gourd

courge éponge
Meaning
a fibrous gourd that becomes sponge-like when dried, used for cleaning and in cooking when young
Example
The sponge gourd can be eaten when young or dried to make natural scrubbers.
La courge éponge peut être mangée lorsqu'elle est jeune ou séchée pour fabriquer des éponges naturelles.
C2 noun /səˈnɛs.əns/

senescence

vieillissement
Meaning
The process of growing old or the condition of aging.
Example
The biologist studied senescence in plants to understand aging.
Le biologiste a étudié la sénescence des plantes pour comprendre le vieillissement.
C2 noun /sfɪˈrɒmɪtər/

spherometer

sphéromètre
Meaning
An instrument used for measuring the curvature of spherical surfaces.
Example
The scientist used a spherometer to measure the lens curvature.
Le scientifique a utilisé un sphéromètre pour mesurer la courbure de la lentille.
C2 verb /ʃʌk/

shuck

éplucher
Meaning
To remove the outer covering, such as the husk of corn or shell of shellfish.
Example
She learned how to shuck oysters quickly.
Elle a appris à ouvrir les huîtres rapidement.
C2 noun ˈsɒmnələns

somnolence

somnolence
Meaning
A state of drowsiness or sleepiness; inclination to sleep.
Example
The somnolence after a heavy meal made it hard to concentrate.
La somnolence après un repas copieux a rendu difficile la concentration.
C2 noun /ˈsælvoʊ/

salvo

salve
Meaning
A simultaneous discharge of guns or release of bombs; a sudden outburst of cheers or applause.
Example
The soldiers fired a salvo to honor the fallen general.
Les soldats ont tiré une salve pour honorer le général décédé.
C2 adjective /ˈsloʊθfəl/

slothful

paresseux
Meaning
Lazy, idle, and unwilling to work.
Example
She was too slothful to get out of bed early.
Elle était trop paresseuse pour se lever tôt du lit.
C2 verb /ˈsʌli/

sully

salir
Meaning
to damage the purity, integrity, or reputation of something
Example
The scandal sullied the politician’s reputation.
Le scandale a sali la réputation du politicien.
C2 noun /sneɪk ɡɔːrd/

Snake gourd

courge serpent
Meaning
a long, curved vegetable that resembles a snake, commonly used in South Asian cuisine
Example
The snake gourd grows in a twisted, serpentine shape in the garden.
La courge serpent pousse dans une forme tordue et serpentine dans le jardin.
C2 adjective /ˈsækərɪn/

saccharine

bonheur
Meaning
Excessively sweet or sentimental.
Example
His saccharine smile seemed insincere.
Elle ne pouvait pas cacher son bonheur lorsqu'elle a reçu le prix.