French Conversation · Level 93
60 words
French word
effiler
Pronunciation
IPA/efile/
Meaning
- verbthin out
Example
Le coiffeur a effilé mes cheveux.
The hairdresser thinned out my hair.
More examples
Il a fallu effiler la mèche pour alléger la coiffure.
It was necessary to thin out the lock to lighten the hairstyle.
Core concept
A thick bundle of hair or fibers becomes lighter as some strands are drawn away, leaving a finer, tapered form.
Common phrases
effiler une mèche
thin out a lock
effiler les cheveux
thin out the hair
Similar words
couper: To cut hair or an object with scissors or a blade to change its length or shape.
raccourcir: To make something shorter.
coiffer: To arrange hair into a desired shape.
effilocher: To fray fabric or an edge so that its fibers come loose.
Definition in French
Rendre plus fin en retirant des mèches ou en séparant des fibres, surtout pour les cheveux.
Word origin
Effiler comes from Old French esfiler, formed with es- ('out') and fil ('thread'), first referring to drawing out threads before extending to hair and fibers.
Usage tips
- In hairdressing, effiler usually reduces bulk by tapering strands rather than merely making the whole haircut shorter.
Other meanings
- frayverb
Opposites
- épaissirthickenverb
- alourdirweigh downverb
Related words
- effilétaperedadjective