potence
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French potence (“power, a crutch”), from Latin potentia (“power, in Medieval Latin also crutch”), from potens (“powerful”); see potent.
Noun
potence (countable and uncountable, plural potences)
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
- “potence”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “potence”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
Anagrams
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
potence f
Declension
Declension of potence (soft feminine)
Related terms
Related terms
Further reading
Etymology
Inherited from Old French, borrowed from Latin potentia.
Pronunciation
Noun
potence f (plural potences)
- (construction) post and braces
- gallows, gibbet (for hanging)
- stem (component on a bicycle)
Usage notes
Beware that this is a false friend, meaning “gallows” (or similar wooden constructions), not “strength”, from the Middle Latin meaning “crutch” of potentia.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Further reading
- “potence”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams
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