French word

fossé

Pronunciation

IPA/fose/

Meaning

  • masculine nounditch

Example

La voiture est tombée dans le fossé.

The car fell into the ditch.

Illustration for fossé (ditch)

More examples

Le fossé entre la théorie et la pratique se remarque souvent.

The gap between theory and practice is often noticeable.

Core concept

A hollow trench separates adjoining ground and channels water, providing a natural image for a major gap between viewpoints or situations.

Common phrases

  • creuser un fossé

    dig a ditch

  • le fossé entre riches et pauvres

    the gap between the rich and the poor

  • au bord du fossé

    at the edge of the ditch

Similar words

trou: A small hole or depression in the ground or on an object's surface.
caniveau: A narrow drain along a road for collecting and carrying rainwater.
tranchée: A substantial trench dug into the ground for building work or pipes.
rigole: A narrow, shallow ditch for directing small flows of water or drainage.

Definition in French

Tranchée pratiquée dans le sol pour l'écoulement des eaux ; au sens figuré, écart important entre deux groupes, opinions ou situations.

Word origin

The French noun traces back to Latin fossatum through Old French forms, with the same Latin digging root found in fossa and fodere.

Usage tips

  • The final é in fossé is pronounced like the vowel in French été, so it is not silent as in many English spellings ending in a similar letter.

Other meanings

  • moatnoun
  • gapnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word