Formes composées
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the 24-hour clock,
the twenty-four-hour clock n | (time format: 00-23 hours) | le système horaire sur 24 heures nm |
| | | le format 24 heures nm |
| the 411 n | US, informal (information) (familier) | infos nfpl |
| A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. expr | (Don't risk what you have.) | Un tiens vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras. expr |
| | I'm told I can do better if I keep looking for opportunities, but I'll stay at this job for now; after all, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. |
| a chip off the old block n | informal, figurative (person: like parent) (pour un homme) | tel père, tel fils expr |
| | (pour une femme) | telle mère, telle fille expr |
| | | tenir de son père, tenir de sa mère expr |
| | | avoir de qui tenir expr |
| | He'll be a womanizer just like his father; he's a chip off the old block. |
| | Ça sera un dragueur invétéré comme son père : tel père, tel fils ! |
| | Ça sera un dragueur invétéré comme son père : il a de qui tenir ! |
| | | c'est le digne fils de son père, c'est la digne fille de sa mère expr |
| | | les chats ne font pas des chiens expr |
| | Ça sera un dragueur invétéré comme son père : c'est le digne fils de son père |
| a drop in the bucket n | US, informal, figurative (amount: trivial) | bagatelle nf |
| | The U.S. needs to redevelop passenger rail; Amtrak funding is just a drop in the bucket. |
| | | une goutte d'eau, une goutte d'eau dans la mer, une goutte d'eau dans l'océan nf |
| a drop in the bucket n | US, informal, figurative ([sth]: inconsequential) (figuré) | une goutte d'eau dans l'océan nf |
a drop in the ocean (UK),
a drop in the bucket (US) n | figurative, informal, UK (amount: trivial) (figuré) | une goutte d'eau (dans la mer, dans l'océan) nf |
| | The money I give to charity is a drop in the ocean compared to some people. |
| a drop in the ocean n | figurative, informal, UK ([sth], [sb]: inconsequential) (figuré) | une goutte d'eau dans la mer, une goutte d'eau dans l'océan nf |
| | I am just a drop in the ocean of many dozens of candidates vying for this job. |
| a night out on the town n | (evening at bar, party) | une virée nocturne en ville nf |
| | After I got my promotion, my friends and I went for a night out on the town to celebrate. |
| a piece of the action n | informal (involvement, participation) | un rôle actif nm |
| | | une implication réelle nf |
| | | vraiment participer⇒, être vraiment impliqué vi |
| | If I'm to help you, I want a piece of the action. |
| a roll in the hay n | figurative, informal (sexual intercourse) (familier) | une partie de jambes en l'air nf |
| | (familier) | s'envoyer en l'air loc v |
| a thing of the past n | informal ([sth] obsolete) | appartenir au passé loc v |
| | | du passé expr |
| | Passer l'aspirateur, c'est du passé grâce au nouveau Aspitoutseul 3000 ! |
| a thing of the past n | informal ([sth] no longer a problem) | (être) du passé expr |
| a word to the wise n | colloquial (giving warning, advice) (un peu familier) | un bon conseil, un conseil nm |
| | A word to the wise: do not visit this neighborhood alone after dark. |
| | Un bon conseil : ne te balade pas dans ce quartier seul le soir. |
| | | à bon entendeur, salut ! interj |
| the AA n | US, initialism (Alcoholics Anonymous) | les Alcooliques anonymes nmpl |
| | (peu courant) | AA abr |
| | If you think you have a problem with alcohol, you should join the AA. |
| | Si vous pensez avoir un problème d'alcool, vous devriez rejoindre les Alcooliques anonymes. |
AA,
the AA n | UK, initialism (Automobile Association) (organisme britannique) | AA abr, n propre |
| | | organisme (britannique) d'assistance aux automobilistes nm |
| Note: Cet organisme assure les voitures, donne des cours de conduite et dépanne les voitures en Grande-Bretagne. |
| | If your car breaks down and you're a member of the AA, phone them and they'll come and rescue you. |
| | Si votre voiture tombe en panne et que vous faites partie de AA, vous pouvez les appeler pour qu'ils viennent vous dépanner. |
| the AAA n | UK, initialism (Amateur Athletic Association) (association athlétique amateur) | l'AAA nf propre, abr |
| the AAA n | AU, initialism (Australian Automobile Association) (association automobile australienne) | l'AAA nf propre, abr |
| Note: Roadside assistance company |
| | My car died; do you have the number for the AAA? |
| the able-bodied npl | (not physically disabled) | les personnes valides loc adj |
| | People with disabilities enjoy sports as much as the able-bodied do. |
| | Les personnes en situation de handicap apprécient autant le sport que les personnes valides. |
| the above n | (preceding text) | ce qui précède expr |
| | | ci-dessus loc adv |
| | Heavy snowfall overnight has left the road impassable. In light of the above, we have decided to close the office. |
above and beyond the call of duty,
beyond the call of duty expr | (more than required) | bien au-delà de son devoir loc adv |
| | He was honored for performing above and beyond the call of duty. |
| above the law adj | (not legally accountable) | au-dessus des lois loc adv |
| | Many politicians think that they are above the law, and should not be punished for any wrongdoing. |
| | Beaucoup d'hommes politiques pensent qu'ils sont au-dessus des lois et qu'ils ne devraient pas être punis pour leurs méfaits. |
| above-the-line adj | figurative (of current expenses) (Comptabilité) | au-dessus de la ligne loc adj |
| | (dépenses) | courant adj |
| above-the-line adj | figurative (advertising: in mass media) (publicité) | grands médias loc adj |
| | (anglicisme) | above the line loc adj |
| above the line expr | figurative (of current expenses) (Comptabilité) | au-dessus de la ligne loc adv |
| above the line expr | figurative (advertising: in mass media) (publicité) | grands médias loc adv |
| | (anglicisme) | above the line loc adv |
| (the) Abrahamic religions npl | (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) | religions abrahamiques nfpl |
| Absence makes the heart grow fonder expr | (miss [sb] more) | l'éloignement renforce l'affection expr |
| absorb the shock v expr | (soften a physical impact) | amortir le choc loc v |
| | Egg boxes absorb the shock of shipping so the eggs don't crack. |
| | The pile of pillows would absorb the shock from the fall. |
| absorb the shock v expr | figurative (take in bad news) | encaisser le coup loc v |
| | The telephone fell from her hand as she tried to absorb the shock of her father's death. |
| | I gave him a moment to absorb the shock from the bad news. |
| absorb the shock v expr | figurative (lessen a financial burden) (figuré) | amortir les chocs loc v |
| | My pension fund took a beating in the stock market crash, but at least I had bank certificates to absorb the shock. |
| the absurd n | literary (existentialist theme) (thème existentialiste) | l'absurde nm |
| | The absurd became popular in literature in the early 20th century. |
| | L'absurde est devenu populaire dans la littérature au début du 20e siècle. |
| the academy n | US (community of scholars) | les universitaires nmpl |
| | After completing a master's degree and a PhD, Christina went on to spend her whole career in the academy. |
| accede to the throne v expr | formal (become king, queen) | accéder au trône loc v |
| accept the responsibility v expr | (be willing to take on duties) | accepter la responsabilité loc v |
| | | accepter d'assumer la responsabilité , accepter d'endosser la responsabilité loc v |
| | | prendre la responsabilité loc v |
| | She accepted the responsibility of planning the office Christmas party. |
| | Elle a bien voulu prendre la responsabilité de l'organisation de la fête de Noël de l'entreprise. |
| accessory after the fact n | (law: assist after crime) | complicité par assistance nf |
| accessory before the fact n | (law: assist before crime) | complicité par instigation nf |
| according to the agreement expr | (by the terms of the agreement) | conformément à l'accord, aux accords adv |
| | According to the agreement, the buyer will purchase all the product that the seller can produce. |
| according to the contract expr | (by the terms of the contract) | conformément au contrat, aux clauses du contrat adv |
| | According to the contract you may take three days of bereavement leave for your uncle's funeral, but only one for your nephew's. |
| according to the letter adv | (according to law) | selon la loi adv |
| | | d'après la loi adv |
| | D'après la loi, elle est dans son tort. |
| according to the letter expr | (word for word) | à la lettre loc adv |
| | Calvin interprets the biblical text according to the letter. |
| | Calvin interprète le texte biblique à la lettre. |
| according to the rules expr | (by the rules) | conformément aux règles, au règlement adv |
| | According to the rules, he had to be taken off the field. |
| | | d'après les règles, selon les règles |
according to the wishes of [sb],
according to [sb]'s wishes expr | (what [sb] wants) | selon les souhaits de [qqn], selon les désirs de [qqn] expr |
| | According to her wishes, Margaret was buried next to her husband. |
the accused,
plural: the accused n | (law: defendant) | prévenu, prévenue, inculpé, inculpée nm, nf |
| | (cour d'assises) | accusé, accusée nm, nf |
| | The prosecutor asked: "What is your relationship with the accused?" |
| | Le procureur demanda : « Quelle est votre relation avec le prévenu ? » |
| ace in the hole n | figurative, slang (asset, trump) | atout nm |
| | Gloria's ace in the hole is her fantastic singing voice. |
| | L'atout de Gloria est sa fantastique voix. |
| ace in the hole n | figurative, slang (hidden advantage) | atout dans sa manche nm |
| | The manager decided it was time to reveal his ace in the hole, and brought on striker Wayne Rooney. |
acknowledgment of the signature,
also UK: acknowledgement of the signature n | (law: understand and agree) | reconnaissance de signature nf |
| the acquitted n | (person pronounced not guilty) | l'acquitté nm |
| | The acquitted left the courtroom. |
| the Acropolis n | (citadel in Athens) (monument d'Athènes) | l'Acropole nf propre |
| across the board adv | (globally, universally) | à tous les niveaux adv |
| across the world adv | (all over the Earth) | sur Terre adv |
| | | dans le monde entier adv |
| | It sure would be nice if peace broke out across the world for a change. |
| | Ce serait certainement magnifique si la paix prévalait sur Terre pour changer. |
| | Ce serait certainement agréable si la paix se déclarait dans le monde entier pour changer. |
| across-the-board adj | (global, universal) | général adj |
| | Across-the-board tax increases hurt the poor far more than the rich. |
| | Une augmentation générale des impôts sur le revenu pénalise les pauvres bien plus que les riches. |
| act in the interests of [sb/sth] vtr | (act to protect or help) | agir dans l'intérêt de loc v |
| | An attorney will always act in the best interests of her client. |
| | Un avocat agit toujours dans l'intérêt de son client. |
| Acts of the Apostles npl | (Bible: New Testament book) (Bible) | Actes des apôtres nmpl |
| | For the second reading, the Lector read from the Acts of the Apostles. |
| | La deuxième lecture fut tirée des Actes des apôtres. |
| add fuel to the fire v expr | figurative (exacerbate the issue) | jeter de l'huile sur le feu, mettre de l'huile sur le feu loc v |
| | Shouting at angry pupils is only likely to add fuel to the fire. |
| | Crier après des élèves en colère ne peut que jeter (or: mettre) de l'huile sur le feu. |
| admission to the Bar n | (law: pass Bar exam) | admission au barreau nf |
| the Adriatic n | (region) | l'Adriatique nm propre |
| the Adriatic n | (ocean) | la mer Adriatique nf propre |
| the Adriatic Sea n | (body of water east of Italy) | la mer Adriatique nf propre |
| the advent of [sth] n | (arrival) | l'avènement de nm |
| | | l'arrivée de nf |
| | The advent of spring always gets me excited about gardening. |
| | L'avènement du printemps me rend toujours enthousiaste à l'idée de jardiner. |
the Aegean,
the Aegean Islands n | (Greek, Turkish islands) | les îles de la mer Égée nfpl propre |
| the Aegean Sea n | (part of Mediterranean Sea) | la mer Égée nf propre |
| the Aeneid n | (epic poem) | l'Énéide nf propre |
| affair of the heart n | (love affair, romantic involvement) | affaire de cœur nf |
| | Romance novels describe affairs of the heart. |
| afraid of the dark adj | (scared of darkness) | avoir peur du noir v |
| | She kept a nightlight on because she was afraid of the dark. |
| after the fact expr | (afterwards) | après coup loc adv |
| | He had no knowledge of the robbery until after the fact. |
| after the fact expr | (added after concluded) | postérieurement adv |
| | Conditions added to a contract after the fact are invalid unless both parties agree to them. |
| against the clock adv | (under pressure of time) | contre la montre loc adv |
| | It's seems as though I am always working against the clock! These deadlines are ridiculous. |
| against the flow adv | (opposite the current) | à contre-courant adv |
| | She set her kayak against the flow and began to paddle upstream. |
| against the flow adv | (against general movement) | à contre-courant adv |
| | As the crowd of lemmings moved toward the cliff, a single animal went against the flow, heading back to the tundra. |
| against the flow adv | figurative (contrary to conventional opinion) | à contre-courant adv |
| | All my friends are going to college next year, but I'm going against the flow and attending a technical school. |
| against the law adj | (illegal) | illégal adj |
| | Smoking marijuana is against the law. |
| | Consommer de la marijuana est illégal. |
| against the law adv | (illegally) | illégalement adv |
| | He was driving against the law as he had just guzzled down seven pints of beer. |
| | | en infraction |
| | Il était en infraction en conduisant après avoir bu sept chopes de bière. |
| the aged npl | (elderly people) | les personnes âgées nfpl |
| | She hates being referred to as 'one of the aged'. |
| | Elle déteste qu'on la désigne comme faisant partie des personnes âgées. |
| the agentive n | (grammar: agentive case) (Grammaire : case) | l'agentif nm |
| the agentive case n | (grammar: case indicating agent) (Grammaire : case) | l'agentif nm |
ahead of its time,
ahead of the times adj | (advanced) | en avance sur son temps loc adj |
| | The company prides itself on bringing products to market that are ahead of their time. |
| | Cette entreprise se targue d'introduire sur le marché des produits en avance sur leur temps. |
| ahead of the curve expr | figurative (more advanced than others) | à la pointe expr |
| | | avoir une longueur d'avance loc v |
| ahead of the game expr | informal, figurative (at an advantage) (personne) | penser à tout, anticiper⇒ vi |
| | Bruce was ahead of the game because he repaired the roof before the rains came. |
| | Bruce avait anticipé parce qu'il avait réparé le toit avant qu'il pleuve. |
| ahead of the game expr | informal, figurative (beating competitors) (entreprise, concurrence) | avoir une longueur d'avance loc v |
| | (entreprise, concurrence) | être compétitif, être compétitive vi + adj |
Air Force,
the Air Force n | US (USAF: United States Air Force) (Armée américaine, anglicisme) | l'Air Force nf propre |
| | | l'armée de l'air (américaine) nf |
| | Dan is a pilot in the Air Force. |
Air Force,
the Air Force n | UK (RAF: Royal Air Force) (Armée britannique, anglicisme) | l'Air Force nf propre |
| | | l'armée de l'air (britannique) nf |
| | Ian joined the Air Force as soon as he was old enough. |
| | an a rejoint l'armée de l'air dès qu'il en a eu l'âge. |
| Alexander the Great n | (king of Macedonia 336–323) | Alexandre le Grand nm propre |
| the Algonquian npl | (native American peoples) | Algonquin, Algonquine nm, nf |
| all over the map expr | figurative, informal (changeable) (figuré) | (partir) dans tous les sens loc adv |
| | (pensées, propos,…) | confus adj |
| | (signal télé, radio) | instable adj |
| | (cheveux) | décoiffé adj |
| | After her father died, her emotions were all over the map. |
| | Après la mort de son père, ses émotions étaient confuses. |
| all over the map expr | informal (in many places) | un peu partout loc adv |
| | (assez familier) | dans tous les coins loc adv |
| | | à chaque coin de rue, à tous les coins de rue loc adv |
| | When he looked up the nearest ATM, they came up all over the map. |
| | Quand il a cherché le distributeur de billets le plus proche, il en a vu un peu partout. |
| all over the place expr | informal (in many places) | un peu partout loc adv |
| | (assez familier) | dans tous les coins loc adv |
| | | à chaque coin de rue, à tous les coins de rue loc adv |
| | There is dust all over the place; I really need to clean house! |
| | Il y a de la poussière un peu partout : il faut vraiment que je fasse le ménage ! |
| all over the place expr | figurative, informal (not focused) (figuré) | (partir) dans tous les sens loc adv |
| | (pensées, propos,…) | confus adj |
| | (signal télé, radio) | instable adj |
| | (cheveux) | décoiffé adj |
| | I have been very distracted lately; my thoughts are all over the place. |
| | J'ai été distrait ces derniers temps ; mes pensées sont confuses. |
| all over the world expr | (in many countries) | dans le monde entier adv |
| | Santa Claus is known all over the world. |
| | Le Père Noël est connu dans le monde entier. |
| all over the world adv | figurative (everywhere) | absolument partout adv |
| | (figuré : partout) | dans le monde entier loc adv |
| | Luke had searched all over the world, but there was no sign of Naomi. |
| | Luke a cherché absolument partout mais n'a vu aucun signe de Naomi. |
All the best,
expr | written (closing: letter or email) (formule de politesse) | Bien à vous, |
| Note: Followed by the writer's name or signature, usually on a separate line. |
| | The letter ended, "Please let me know if I can be of any further help. All the best, Simon." |
| all the best n | (good wishes) | tous mes vœux |
| | I wish you all the best in your new career. |
| | Tous mes vœux pour ton nouvel emploi ! |
| all the better expr | (enhances [sth]) | d'autant mieux expr |
| | | tant mieux ! adv |
| | (Petit Chaperon rouge) | All the better to... : C'est pour mieux... |
| | "Big eyes? All the better to see you with, my dear!" said the wolf to Little Red Riding Hood. |
| | - Oh, Grand-mère, comme tu as de grands yeux ! - C'est pour mieux te voir, mon enfant ! dit le loup au Petit Chaperon rouge. |
| all the comforts of home npl | (amenities, facilities) | tout confort loc adj |
| | The hotel room has all the comforts of home. |
| | Cet hôtel est tout confort. |
| all the days of your life expr | (for rest of your life) | chaque jour que Dieu fait loc adv |
| | Arrête de penser à la faillite de ton ancienne entreprise chaque jour que Dieu fait. |