flèche

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French flèche. Compare fletch.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /flɛʃ/, /fleɪʃ/
    • (file)
    • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛʃ, -eɪʃ

Noun

flèche (plural flèches)

  1. (obsolete) An arrow.
  2. (backgammon) Any of the twenty-four points on a backgammon board.
  3. (architecture) A spire or steeple, especially of Gothic style; an object emerging from the ridge of a roof.
  4. (military, fortification) An earthwork consisting of two berms forming an angle with an open gorge.
  5. (fencing) A method of attack with a sword (foil or épée) in which the attacker's back leg crosses in front of the front leg in the offensive move.

Verb

flèche (third-person singular simple present flèches, present participle flèching, simple past and past participle flèched)

  1. (fencing) To attack using the flèche method.

Anagrams

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French fleche, from Old French fleche, from Vulgar Latin *fleccia, a borrowing from Frankish.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /flɛʃ/
  • (file)

Noun

flèche f (plural flèches)

  1. (archery, symbol) arrow (projectile or symbol)
  2. (architecture) spire
  3. jib
  4. pointer, needle
  5. (fencing) fleche
  6. (informal, figuratively) bright spark, quick study
    Synonym: tête

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Dutch: flits
    • Middle Low German: flitse [16th c.]
  • English: flèche

Verb

flèche

  1. inflection of flécher:
    1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
    2. second-person singular imperative

See also

Further reading

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