French word

gnome

Pronunciation

IPA/gnom/

Meaning

  • masculine noungarden gnome

Example

Elle a acheté un gnome pour décorer son jardin.

She bought a garden gnome to decorate her garden.

Illustration for gnome (garden gnome)

More examples

Les enfants ont posé un gnome en plastique près de la balançoire.

The children placed a plastic gnome near the swing.

Core concept

A small human-shaped garden figurine that evokes a legendary little being.

Common phrases

  • gnome en plastique

    plastic gnome

  • statue de gnome

    gnome statue

Similar words

nain de jardin: A small decorative doll intended for display in a garden or yard.
figurine: A small decorative or collectible statue or figure.
nain: A dwarf-like human figure found in traditional stories and fairy tales.

Definition in French

Figurine en forme d'homme de petite taille, surtout utilisée pour décorer un jardin; par extension, petit être légendaire.

Word origin

French gnome is a learned borrowing from the Neo-Latin form gnomus associated with Paracelsus in the sixteenth century.

Usage tips

  • For an ordinary garden ornament, un nain de jardin is more common than gnome in French.

Other meanings

  • gnomenoun

Word lists with this word