English Vocabulary Derived from French: List 9

Bonjour, vocabulary connoisseurs! Did you know that almost 30% of words in the English language come from French? Brush up on these common English words derived from French and show everyone that your vocabulary is the crème de la crème.

Here are links to our lists in the collection: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5, List 6, List 7, List 8, List 9, List 10, List 11, Terms
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. pince-nez
    spectacles clipped to the nose by a spring
  2. gauche
    lacking social poise or refinement
  3. soiree
    a party of people assembled in the evening
  4. beige
    of a light grayish-brown color
  5. detente
    the easing of tensions or strained relations
  6. contretemps
    an awkward clash
  7. corsage
    an arrangement of flowers that is usually given as a present
  8. deluxe
    rich and superior in quality
  9. auteur
    a filmmaker who has a personal style
  10. stethoscope
    a medical instrument for listening to sounds inside the body
  11. tourniquet
    a bandage that stops the flow of blood by applying pressure
  12. moue
    a disdainful grimace
  13. elan
    enthusiastic and assured vigor and liveliness
  14. saute
    fry briefly over high heat
  15. eclat
    brilliant or conspicuous success or effect
  16. saboteur
    someone who deliberately destroys or disrupts something
  17. egalitarian
    favoring social equality
  18. montage
    a film sequence made by editing together a series of separate scenes or shots
  19. raconteur
    a person skilled in telling anecdotes
  20. panache
    distinctive and stylish elegance
Created on Fri May 13 10:04:20 EDT 2022 (updated Tue Aug 02 09:13:34 EDT 2022)

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