French word

écumer

Pronunciation

IPA/ekyme/

Meaning

  • verbskim

Example

Il faut écumer le bouillon pendant la cuisson.

The broth must be skimmed during cooking.

Illustration for écumer (skim)

More examples

Pour la confiture, il faut écumer la surface.

For the jam, you need to skim the surface.

Core concept

A skimmer passing over a surface and then sweeping through a series of places.

Common phrases

  • écumer le bouillon

    skim the broth

  • écumer la sauce

    skim the sauce

Similar words

enlever: Get rid of an unwanted object or dirty substance.
retirer: Remove an object or something that can be taken out.
parcourir: Go from one shop or place to the next while looking around.
arpenter: Walk back and forth across a broad area.

Definition in French

Enlever la mousse ou la pellicule qui se forme à la surface d'un liquide ; par extension, parcourir intensément un lieu ou une série de lieux.

Word origin

The verb écumer derives from French écume, inherited through Old French escume from Latin spuma, and its extended sense grew from removing surface foam.

Usage tips

  • In the figurative expression écumer les magasins, the verb means visiting shops one after another rather than simply looking around in shops.

Other meanings

  • foamverb

Related words

  • écumefoamnoun
  • écumoireskimmernoun

Word lists with this word