belle-mère

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French belle-mere, belle-mère. By surface analysis, belle- +‎ mère.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɛl.mɛʁ/

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Noun

belle-mère f (plural belles-mères)

1. mother-in-law
2. stepmother

   Synonym: (dated) marâtre

   Antonym: (dated) parâtre

3. (Quebec, politics, derogatory) a retired politician (male or female) who tries to keep influencing their successors through public or behind-the-scenes interventions

Coordinate terms

• beau-fils
• beau-frère
• beau-père
• bel-enfant
• belle-fille
• belle-sœur
• bru
• gendre

Descendants

• Haitian Creole: bèlmè

Further reading

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