French Conversation · Level 67
60 words
French word
talus
Pronunciation
IPA/taly/
Meaning
- masculine nounslope
Example
Les enfants ont glissé sur le talus.
The children slid down the slope.
More examples
Les enfants se sont assis au pied du talus.
The children sat at the foot of the slope.
Core concept
The sloping face of a raised strip of earth, such as beside a bank, mound, or road.
Common phrases
au pied du talus
at the foot of the slope
s'asseoir sur le talus
sit on the slope
Similar words
pente: An inclined surface of ground or road used for going up or down.
côte: A short uphill stretch of road or a small hill.
falaise: A nearly vertical rocky slope beside the sea or a river.
Definition in French
Partie inclinée d'un terrain, en général le bord surélevé d'une butte, d'une berge ou d'un remblai.
Word origin
French talus comes through Old French from Latin talus, meaning an ankle or heel, and developed into a word for a projecting edge and its slope.
Usage tips
- Talus is masculine, so the usual form is le talus, and its final s is silent.
Other meanings
- banknoun
- embankmentnoun
- anklebonenoun
Opposites
- plaineplainnoun