louche

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -uːʃ

Etymology

From French louche

Adjective

louche (comparative more louche, superlative most louche)

1. of questionable taste or morality; decadent
2. not reputable or decent
   • 1888, “The aunt will refuse; she will think the whole proceeding very louche!” (The Aspern Papers, Henry James)

Verb

Wikipedia

louche (third-person singular simple present louches, present participle louching, simple past and past participle louched)

1. (intransitive, alcoholic beverages) To become cloudy when mixed with water, due to the presence of anethole. This is known as the ouzo effect.

   Certain anise-flavored drinks have developed a mystique based on the exotic appearance of louching.

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA: /luʃ/

Etymology 1

Old French lousche, from Latin lusca, feminine of luscus (“one-eyed”) ( > Old French lois).

Adjective

louche m. (f. louche, m. plural louches, f. plural louches)

1. shady, dubious, seedy
2. (of a liquid) cloudy

Noun

louche f. (plural louches)

1. (in a liquid) cloudiness due to a suspension of fine particles

Etymology 2

A dialectal (Norman-Picard) form of Old French louce, loce, from Frankish *lōtja.

Noun

louche f. (plural louches)

1. ladle

Etymology 3

Regular conjugation of -er verb loucher

Verb

louche

1. first-person singular present indicative of loucher
2. third-person singular present indicative of loucher
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of loucher
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of loucher
5. second-person singular imperative of loucher