French Conversation · Level 183
15 words
French word
moelle
Pronunciation
IPA/mwal/
Meaning
- feminine nounbone marrow
Example
Le médecin a prélevé de la moelle pour l'analyse.
The doctor took a bone marrow sample for analysis.
More examples
La moelle épinière relie le cerveau au reste du corps.
The spinal cord connects the brain to the rest of the body.
Core concept
The soft center that gives a body or an abstract thing its inner substance.
Common phrases
moelle épinière
spinal cord
moelle osseuse
bone marrow
Similar words
os: Hard parts of the body that provide support and shield the organs.
sang: Red liquid that carries oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.
Definition in French
Tissu mou et spongieux des os qui produit les cellules sanguines; par extension, le noyau ou l'essence de quelque chose.
Word origin
Moelle developed from Latin "medulla" through Old French, preserving the sense of marrow and extending it metaphorically to the core of a matter.
Usage tips
- The figurative use of moelle is relatively literary; "l'essentiel" is more usual in neutral everyday French.
Other meanings
- essencenoun
- pithnoun
Related words
- moelleuxsoftadjective
- moelleusementsoftlyadverb