French Conversation · Level 148
30 words
French word
fronde
Pronunciation
IPA/fʁɔ̃d/
Meaning
- feminine nounsling
Example
Il a lancé une pierre avec sa fronde.
He threw a stone with his sling.
More examples
Une poignée d'élus a déclenché la fronde au sein du comité.
A handful of elected officials sparked the revolt within the committee.
Core concept
A pouch and band launch a stone, while a compact group directs its force against a higher authority.
Common phrases
déclencher la fronde
spark the revolt
Similar words
faction: A small group united by shared beliefs or interests.
révolte: An act of rising up against those in power or authority.
soulèvement: A large-scale rebellion involving people across a broad area.
lance-pierre: A handheld device that propels stones or pellets by stretching elastic bands.
Definition in French
Appareil destiné à projeter une pierre au moyen d'une bande et d'une poche ; par extension, soulèvement ou action de contestation, souvent menée par une faction ou un groupe interne.
Word origin
French fronde continues Old French fonde, from Latin funda, with a historical change from fonde to fronde; its political sense comes from the seventeenth-century name La Fronde.
Usage tips
- Fronde is feminine, so the article is une; une fronde contre X signals organized opposition to an authority rather than a private complaint.