French Conversation · Level 123
59 words
French word
bouc
Pronunciation
IPA/buk/
Meaning
- masculine nounbilly goat
Example
Le bouc mange de l'herbe.
The billy goat is eating grass.
More examples
Le bouc du voisin a sauté la clôture.
The neighbor's billy goat jumped over the fence.
Core concept
A sturdy male goat chewing grass, its short chin beard linking the animal to a goatee.
Common phrases
bouc du voisin
neighbor's billy goat
Similar words
chèvre: A common goat often kept as livestock.
bouc émissaire: A person or thing singled out to bear a group's blame or responsibility.
Definition in French
Désigne le mâle de la chèvre (espèce caprine) ; par extension, petite barbe portée sur le menton.
Word origin
The French word bouc derives from Old French buc, borrowed from a Frankish Germanic term for a male goat; the beard sense is a later extension.
Usage tips
- Chèvre commonly means a goat in general, whereas bouc specifically identifies a male goat.
Other meanings
- goateenoun
Opposites
- chèvrenanny goatnoun