potence

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French potence (“power, a crutch”), from Latin potentia (“power, in (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Medieval Latin also crutch”), from potens (“powerful”); see potent.

Noun

potence (countable and uncountable, plural potences)

1. power or strength; potency
2. A stud that acts as a support of a pivot in a watch or clock
3. (heraldry) Synonym of crutch

Derived terms

• idempotence
• nilpotence
• unipotence

Related terms

• potency
• potent
• potentate
• potential
• potentiality

Further reading

• “potence”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “potence”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• pet cone

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Czech

Etymology

Latin potis

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈpotɛnt͡sɛ]
• Rhymes: -ɛntsɛ

Noun

potence f

1. potency

Related terms

Related terms

• idempotence
• idempotentní
• impotence
• impotent
• impotentní
• potenciál
• potenciální
• potenciometr
• potencionální
• potentát
• potentní
• omnipotence
• omnipotentní

Further reading

• Template:R:PSJC
• Template:R:SSJC

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French

Etymology

From Old French, borrowed from Latin potentia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pɔ.tɑ̃s/

• Audio (Paris):

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• Audio:

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Noun

potence f (plural potences)

1. (construction) post and braces
2. gallows, gibbet (for hanging)
3. stem (component on a bicycle)

Usage notes

Beware that this is a false friend, meaning “gallows” (or similar wooden constructions), not “strength”, from the Middle Latin meaning “crutch” of potentia.

Synonyms

• gibet

Derived terms

• gibier de potence

Further reading

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

Anagrams

• écopent