blaireau

English

Alternative forms

• braireau, brairo

Etymology

French blaireau

Noun

blaireau (plural blaireaus)

1. (archaic) Synonym of American badger

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French blereau, blariau, from Old French blarel, from blair.

• Possibly from Frankish *blari (“sporting a white blaze on the forehead”) (compare *blasā).
• Alternatively, from Gaulish *blaros, referring to the color gray, closely related to Proto-Celtic *blāwos (“yellow”).
• According to Bratchet, from a diminutive of blé (“corn, wheat”) thus meaning an animal that feeds on corn.

Replaced Old French taisson (“badger”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blɛ.ʁo/ ~ /ble.ʁo/

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Noun

blaireau m (plural blaireaux, feminine blairelle)

1. badger
2. shaving brush
3. (colloquial) fool

   Synonyms: branleur, branque, brêle, clampin, tocard

   T'es vraiment un blaireau. ― You're truly a fool.

Derived terms

• blair
• blaireau eurasiatique
• blaireau européen

Further reading

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

Anagrams

• abluerai, labeurai

Norman

Etymology

From Old French blarel, from blair.

Noun

blaireau m (plural blaireaus)

1. (Jersey) badger