french

See also: French

English

Etymology

Middle English French, Frens(c)h from Old English frencisc (“of the Franks, Frankish, French”), from Franca (“a Frank”). Compare Old High German Franko (“a Frank”), akin to Old English franca (“javelin, spear”), from the use of such weapons by the Franks.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) enPR: frĕnch, IPA^(key): /fɹɛnt͡ʃ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛntʃ

Verb

french (third-person singular simple present frenches, present participle frenching, simple past and past participle frenched)

1. (transitive) To prepare food by cutting it into strips.
2. (transitive) To kiss (another person) while inserting one’s tongue into the other person's mouth.
   • 1988, Wanda Coleman, A War of Eyes and other stories, page 151:

     Tom frenched her full in the mouth.

3. (intransitive) To kiss in this manner.
   • 2003, Susan Steinberg, TheEend of Free Love, page 81:

     We frenched by the wall.

Synonyms

• (to kiss while inserting tongue): French kiss, French

Derived terms

• frenched

Translations

prepare food by cutting it into strips

• Finnish: suikaloida (fi)
• Hindi: खाद्यपदार्थके टुकडे करना (khādyapdārthake ṭukḍe karnā)

• Marathi: अन्नपदार्थाचे कापे करणे (annapdārthāce kāpe karṇe)

to kiss another person — see French kiss

to kiss — see French kiss

See also

• French
• julienne