French Conversation · Level 88
60 words
French word
bolide
Pronunciation
IPA/bolid/
Meaning
- masculine nounfireball
Example
La nuit dernière, un bolide a illuminé le ciel.
Last night, a fireball lit up the sky.
More examples
Pour la course, il a préparé son bolide.
For the race, he prepared his sports car.
Core concept
A bright, forceful object hurtling dramatically forward, whether across the sky as a meteor or along the road as a car.
Common phrases
conduire un bolide
drive a sports car
un bolide de course
a race car
Similar words
étoile filante: A shooting star visible for only moments as a quick streak or point of light.
météore: A luminous atmospheric event caused by a piece of space debris entering the atmosphere.
météorite: A piece of space rock or metal that survives atmospheric entry and lands on the ground.
Definition in French
Grand météore lumineux qui brûle en entrant dans l'atmosphère et qui apparaît comme une boule de feu; familièrement, voiture très rapide.
Word origin
The French noun bolide comes through Latin bolis from Greek bolis, 'projectile', whose sense developed into the name of a brilliant meteor.
Usage tips
- In astronomy, bolide denotes an exceptionally bright meteor, whereas étoile filante is the broader everyday term for a shooting star.
Other meanings
- meteornoun
- sports carnoun
Opposites
- tacotjalopynoun