sournois

French

Etymology

Ultimately from Old Occitan sorn (“dark”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /suʁ.nwa/

Adjective

sournois (feminine sournoise, masculine plural sournois, feminine plural sournoises)

1. sly, sneaky, underhanded, surreptitious [since 1640]

   caractère sournois ― sly character

   conduite sournoise ― underhanded conduct

   Le cancer est une maladie sournoise, d’où l’importance des campagnes de dépistage.

   Cancer is a surreptitious disease, hence the importance of screening campaigns.

Further reading

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

Anagrams

• sourions