French word

pic

Pronunciation

IPA/pik/

Meaning

  • masculine nounpeak

Example

Il y a un pic d'affluence le samedi.

There is a peak in attendance on Saturday.

Illustration for pic (peak)

More examples

Le pic de pollution a forcé la fermeture des écoles.

The peak in pollution forced the closure of the schools.

Core concept

A sharp summit on a graph or mountain, marking the highest point before a fall.

Common phrases

  • un pic d'affluence

    a peak in attendance

  • un pic de pollution

    a peak in pollution

  • un pic de chaleur

    a peak in heat

Similar words

sommet: The topmost point of a mountain or the highest position of something.
pointe: A minor peak visible only briefly.
maximum: The greatest level attained by an amount or value.

Definition in French

Moment où une grandeur atteint sa valeur maximale, souvent de courte durée, ou le sommet correspondant.

Word origin

The noun pic for a pointed summit comes from Old French pic, with the form influenced by Germanic pikk-, and its meaning extended to a high point in a quantity or event.

Usage tips

  • Pic is masculine, so the phrase is un pic and the common pattern is un pic de fréquentation or un pic d'activité.

Other meanings

  • summitnoun
  • spikenoun

Opposites

  • creuxtroughnoun
  • baissedeclinenoun

Word lists with this word