French word

cadavre

Pronunciation

IPA/kadavʁ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounbody

Example

Ils ont trouvé un cadavre dans le parc.

They found a body in the park.

Illustration for cadavre (body)

More examples

J'ai appelé la police après avoir vu un cadavre sur la plage.

I called the police after seeing a corpse on the beach.

Core concept

A human or animal body reduced to physical remains, viewed as an object rather than as a living person.

Common phrases

  • voir un cadavre

    see a corpse

  • signaler un cadavre

    report a corpse

Similar words

corps: The body of a person, living or dead.
mort: Someone who is dead.
défunt: A person who has passed away, mentioned respectfully.

Definition in French

Dénomination formelle du corps mort d'une personne ou d'un animal, mettant l'accent sur l'état physique du corps plutôt que sur la personne décédée.

Word origin

French cadavre comes from Latin cadaver, meaning a dead body; its proposed connection with cadere, 'to fall', is not certain.

Usage tips

  • Cadavre is masculine, so standard forms include un cadavre and le cadavre.

Other meanings

  • carcassnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word