caillou

See also: Caillou

French

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Norman caillou, of uncertain origin. Compare Picard cailleu, Walloon caie. Perhaps from Dutch kei (“stone, rock”) or Gaulish cala.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ka.ju/

• audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Paris):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ju

Noun

caillou m (plural cailloux)

1. gravel, small stone

Usage notes

Only seven words in French ending in -ou have their plurals in -oux instead of -ous: bijou, caillou, chou, genou, hibou, joujou, pou.

Related terms

• caillouter
• cailloutis

See also

• pierre

Further reading

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

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Middle French

Noun

caillou m (plural caillous)

1. stone; pebble