griffe

See also: Griffe and griffé

English

Etymology

From French griffe.

Noun

griffe (plural griffes)

1. (US, dialectal, dated) The offspring of a mulatto (person of mixed black and white ancestry) and a person of fully black ancestry.
2. (US, dialectal, dated) A mulatto.

References

• “griffe”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

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French

Etymology

From the verb griffer (“to scratch”) or Old High German grif (modern German Griff (“grip, handle”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡʁif/

• audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Paris):

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Noun

griffe f (plural griffes)

1. claw

   coup de griffe ― swipe of the claws

   Les pattes de cet animal sont armées de griffes.

   The paws of this animal have claws.

2. talon
3. scratch mark
4. (figurative) signature (characteristic mark, e.g. of an artist)

   Il a beau n’avoir pas mis son nom à cet ouvrage, il y a mis sa griffe.

   Even though he has not put his name on this work, he has put his mark.

5. (by extension) brand, designer label (especially fashion)

Descendants

• → Italian: griffe
• → Portuguese: griffe, grife

Verb

griffe

1. first-person singular present indicative of griffer
2. third-person singular present indicative of griffer
3. first-person singular present subjunctive of griffer
4. third-person singular present subjunctive of griffer
5. second-person singular imperative of griffer

Further reading

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

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German

Verb

griffe

1. (deprecated template usage) First-person singular subjunctive II of greifen.
2. (deprecated template usage) Third-person singular subjunctive II of greifen.

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Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from French griffe.

Noun

griffe f (uncountable)

1. designer label

Noun

griffe f

1. plural of griffa