French word

caoutchouc

Pronunciation

IPA/kautʃu/

Meaning

  • masculine nounrubber

Example

Il a cassé son jouet en caoutchouc.

He broke his toy made of rubber.

Illustration for caoutchouc (rubber)

More examples

Le ballon en caoutchouc a rebondi loin.

The rubber ball bounced far away.

Core concept

A stretchy, waterproof material that comes from tree latex or industrial production and returns to shape after bending.

Common phrases

  • bottes en caoutchouc

    rubber boots

  • tapis en caoutchouc

    rubber mat

  • gants en caoutchouc

    rubber gloves

Similar words

latex: Natural milky sap from trees, used to make clothing and medical equipment.
gomme: An eraser used to remove written or drawn marks.
plastique: A firm synthetic material widely used for products that must retain their shape.
élastique: A stretchable rubber loop or cord used for purposes such as tying hair.

Definition in French

Matière élastique, naturelle ou synthétique, obtenue du latex d'arbres ou fabriquée industriellement, employée pour fabriquer des objets flexibles et étanches.

Word origin

The French noun entered in the 18th century through Spanish and Portuguese caucho, ultimately from an Indigenous South American language.

Usage tips

  • Caoutchouc is masculine, so the material is le caoutchouc and objects are commonly described with en, as in des bottes en caoutchouc.

Other meanings

  • rubber treenoun

Word lists with this word