French word

gâchette

Pronunciation

IPA/gaʃɛt/

Meaning

  • feminine nountrigger

Example

Elle a mis le doigt sur la gâchette.

She put her finger on the trigger.

Illustration for gâchette (trigger)

More examples

Le licenciement a été la gâchette qui a provoqué les protestations.

The firing was the trigger that sparked the protests.

Core concept

A small finger-pressed part that releases an immediate action, physically or figuratively.

Common phrases

  • être la gâchette de

    be the trigger for ___

Similar words

bouton: A small button pressed to activate an electrical device or function.
déclencheur: A factor or event that triggers an action or chain reaction.
interrupteur: A control that turns an electrical device on or off.

Definition in French

Pièce petite que l'on presse du doigt pour actionner une arme ou un mécanisme, et par extension élément immédiat qui provoque un événement.

Word origin

Gâchette comes from Old French gâche, a lock part, with the diminutive suffix -ette; the meaning later extended to a gun trigger and an event's immediate cause.

Usage tips

  • In figurative contexts, gâchette often retains the sense of a sudden trigger, while déclencheur is more usual for a broadly abstract cause.

Opposites

Word lists with this word