French word

bouchon

Pronunciation

IPA/buʃɔ̃/

Meaning

  • masculine nountraffic jam

Example

Il y a un bouchon sur l'autoroute.

There is a traffic jam on the highway.

Illustration for bouchon (traffic jam)

More examples

Le périphérique est bloqué par un bouchon.

The ring road is blocked by a traffic jam.

Core concept

A dense plug of vehicles on a road, leaving traffic barely moving or stopped.

Common phrases

  • bouchon aux heures de pointe

    traffic jam at rush hour

  • éviter un bouchon

    avoid a traffic jam

  • bouchon sur la route

    traffic jam on the road

Similar words

embouteillage: A severe traffic jam caused by many vehicles moving very slowly.
encombrement: Obstruction caused by too many people or objects blocking a road or place.
blocage: A complete road blockage that prevents all traffic from passing.
ralentissement: A reduction in speed that makes traffic move more slowly than usual.

Definition in French

Concentration de véhicules sur une route entraînant un ralentissement notable de la circulation, parfois un arrêt complet.

Word origin

Bouchon is derived from boucher, 'to block or plug', and its meaning extends from a physical stopper or blockage to a traffic blockage.

Usage tips

  • Bouchon is masculine, so the phrase is un bouchon, not une bouchon.

Other meanings

  • stoppernoun
  • corknoun
  • blockagenoun

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