effleurage

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French effleurage, from effleurer (“to stroke lightly”).

Noun

effleurage (countable and uncountable, plural effleurages)

1. (massage) A form of massage involving smooth strokes of the skin with one's hands.
   • 2003, Stephanie Henderson, Basic Hairdressing: A Coursebook for Level 2, →ISBN, page 97:

     When shampoo is spread on to the hair it is called an effleurage massage movement.

   • 2004, Jean-Pierre Hourdebaigt, Canine Massage: A Complete Reference Manual:

     Starting at the point of shoulder, use muscle squeezings, picking-ups, kneadings and gentle frictions, interspersed with effleurages, over the triceps muscle as well as the fleshy part of the flexor and extensor muscle groups.

Related terms

• efflower

Verb

effleurage (third-person singular simple present effleurages, present participle effleuraging, simple past and past participle effleuraged)

1. (massage) To gently stroke the skin in a circular motion with the palm of one's hands.

Further reading

• effleurage on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

French

Pronunciation

• Audio (Paris)

  (file)

Noun

effleurage m (plural effleurages)

1. effleurage

Related terms

• effleurer

Further reading

• “effleurage”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.