French word

sauterelle

Pronunciation

IPA/sotəʁɛl/

Meaning

  • feminine noungrasshopper

Example

Une sauterelle a sauté sur ma main.

A grasshopper jumped onto my hand.

Illustration for sauterelle (grasshopper)

More examples

J'ai vu une sauterelle dans le jardin ce matin.

I saw a grasshopper in the garden this morning.

Core concept

A small leaf-eating insect with powerful hind legs that springs through grass.

Common phrases

  • une sauterelle

    a grasshopper

  • une sauterelle verte

    a green grasshopper

Similar words

criquet: A small grasshopper with long hind legs, familiar from rural life and folk tales.
grillon: A small cricket that often makes a distinctive sound at night.

Definition in French

Petit insecte herbivore, pourvu de fortes pattes postérieures, se déplaçant surtout par bonds.

Word origin

French sauterelle derives from Old French sauterelle, formed from sauter, 'to jump', with the suffix -elle, ultimately from Latin saltare.

Usage tips

  • Sauterelle is feminine, so the usual article is une, as in une sauterelle a sauté sur ma main.

Related words

  • sauterjumpverb
  • sautillerhopverb
  • sautillanthoppingadjective

Word lists with this word