French Conversation · Level 87
60 words
French word
maquis
Pronunciation
IPA/maki/
Meaning
- masculine nounscrub
Example
La côte est couverte de maquis.
The coast is covered in scrub.
More examples
Le sentier longe le maquis et mène au phare.
The trail runs along the scrub and leads to the lighthouse.
Core concept
Tangled coastal brush forming a natural screen, with the hidden place extending to the people sheltered there.
Common phrases
un chemin dans le maquis
a path through the scrub
se perdre dans le maquis
get lost in the scrub
Similar words
buisson: A small clump of low bushes growing closely together.
haie: A planted row of shrubs or trees along a path or garden boundary.
fourré: A dense thicket of shrubs and grass that hides what lies inside.
Definition in French
Étendue de broussailles basses et serrées, typique du maquis méditerranéen; sens figuré: abri ou refuge dissimulé utilisé par des groupes clandestins.
Word origin
The noun was borrowed into French from Corsican macchia, a word for thicket, while its figurative clandestine sense developed from hiding in such vegetation.
Usage tips
- In phrases such as se mettre au maquis, the word commonly means going underground or into hiding rather than merely entering bushes.
Other meanings
- resistance movementnoun
Related words
- maquisardresistance fighternoun