étau

French

Etymology

From Old Frankish *stok.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /e.to/

Noun

étau m (plural étaux)

1. vice (UK), vise (US)
2. (figuratively) noose

   L’étau se resserre. ― The noose is tightening.

Further reading

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