Les bois du jeune cerf sont encore en velours au début de l’été.
The young stag’s antlers are still in velvet in early summer.
Le dossier était complet, la négociation s’est faite sur du velours.
The file was complete, and the negotiation went smoothly.
Le fabricant vérifie le sens du velours avant la coupe.
The maker checks the direction of the nap before cutting.
Le velours du tapis doit rester régulier après la tonte.
The pile of the carpet must stay even after shearing.
Un velours peut rendre une phrase soignée soudain maladroite.
A velours can make an otherwise careful sentence suddenly awkward.
Similar words
duvet
nappe du tapis
velours de soie
veloutine
velours côtelé
pataquès
panne
avantage
cuir velours
facilité
Meanings
Velvet fabric
noun
textile
neutral
A soft pile fabric whose raised threads give clothing, upholstery, curtains, and trim a rich feel and deep color.
Examples
La robe en velours capte la lumière sans paraître brillante.
The velvet dress catches the light without looking shiny.
Le tapissier a choisi un velours vert pour recouvrir les fauteuils.
The upholsterer chose green velvet to cover the armchairs.
Ce pantalon en velours côtelé tient chaud en hiver.
These corduroy velvet trousers are warm in winter.
Le rideau de velours isole mieux la petite scène.
The velvet curtain insulates the small stage better.
Un ruban de velours noir entourait le bouquet.
A black velvet ribbon surrounded the bouquet.
Le velours de soie reste souple malgré son poil dense.
Silk velvet stays supple despite its dense pile.
Similar words
veloutine
velours de soie
velours de coton
velours côtelé
tissu velouté
panne
Velvet-like softness
noun
sensory
neutral
A soft, smooth, rich quality in touch, voice, taste, light, or expression, compared with the feel of velvet.
Examples
Le velours de la peau de pêche surprend au toucher.
The velvety softness of peach skin is surprising to the touch.
Sa voix de velours a calmé toute la salle.
His velvet voice calmed the whole room.
Le vin laisse un velours discret sur le palais.
The wine leaves a discreet velvety feel on the palate.
Au matin, le jardin avait un velours de mousse et d’ombre.
In the morning, the garden had a velvet of moss and shade.
Ses yeux de velours adoucissaient son visage fermé.
Her velvet eyes softened her closed expression.
La nuit posait un velours sombre sur les collines.
The night laid a dark velvet over the hills.
Similar words
douceur
velouté
suavité
moelleux
soyeux
caresse
Technical velvet covering
noun
technical
technical
A specialized velvet-like surface, including the living skin on growing deer antlers, suede-like leather, or the pile of a carpet.
Examples
Les bois du jeune cerf sont encore en velours au début de l’été.
The young stag’s antlers are still in velvet in early summer.
Le bottier a travaillé un veau velours très fin.
The bootmaker worked a very fine suede calfskin.
Le velours du tapis doit rester régulier après la tonte.
The pile of the carpet must stay even after shearing.
La chèvre velours donne un aspect plus doux à ces chaussures.
The suede goatskin gives these shoes a softer look.
Chez le daim, le velours nourrit les bois pendant leur croissance.
In deer, the velvet feeds the antlers while they grow.
Le fabricant vérifie le sens du velours avant la coupe.
The maker checks the direction of the nap before cutting.
Similar words
duvet
peau veloutée
cuir velours
peausserie velours
nappe du tapis
False z liaison
noun
phonetics
technical
A pronunciation error in French where an extra z sound is inserted where no liaison should be made.
Examples
Dire moi-z-aussi est un velours, car le z n’a rien à faire là.
Saying moi-z-aussi is a velours, because the z has no place there.
Le professeur a relevé un velours dans la lecture à voix haute.
The teacher noticed a velours in the reading aloud.
Ce velours transforme une liaison inexistante en son z.
This false z liaison turns a nonexistent liaison into a z sound.
Un velours peut rendre une phrase soignée soudain maladroite.
A velours can make an otherwise careful sentence suddenly awkward.
Dans va-z-avec lui, le velours vient d’une liaison inventée.
In va-z-avec lui, the velours comes from an invented liaison.
La dictée orale aide à repérer les velours et les cuirs.
Oral dictation helps spot velours and cuirs.
Similar words
pataquès
fausse liaison
liaison abusive
liaison fautive
Easy advantage
noun
idiom
informal
An easy, comfortable, or low-risk position, especially in set phrases about acting or playing without much danger.
Examples
Avec dix points d’avance, l’équipe jouait sur du velours.
With a ten-point lead, the team was playing it safe with a clear advantage.
Le dossier était complet, la négociation s’est faite sur du velours.
The file was complete, and the negotiation went smoothly.
Après ce succès, sa candidature avançait sur le velours.
After that success, his candidacy was moving forward comfortably.
Une bonne préparation transforme parfois l’épreuve en velours.
Good preparation sometimes turns the test into easy going.
Pour les enquêteurs, cette preuve était du velours.
For the investigators, this proof was an easy win.
Il croyait marcher sur du velours, puis une objection a tout ralenti.
He thought he was walking on velvet, then an objection slowed everything down.
Similar words
facilité
avantage
réussite facile
terrain favorable
bénéfice
Etymology
Attested in French since the Middle Ages, from Old French velor or velos, related to forms meaning hairy or covered with hair, and used first for the short, dense-piled fabric.
FAQ
Comments & contributions
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Contribution
Curious Egret
Jul 15
The wine expression with le petit Jésus en culotte de velours sounds old and joking, but it is real. It means the drink goes down very smooth, usually wine, not that it tastes like cloth lol
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Marble Ibis
Jun 28
For the phonetics sense, velours is the fake z liaison, not just any bad liaison. moi-z-aussi is the classic one. A fake t is usually called a cuir
2
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Jolly Hawk
Jun 23
faire patte de velours is not only cute cat talk. Figuratively it can be someone acting sweet while hiding the claws, like being nice because they need something from u
2
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Dashing Okapi
Jun 23
petit velours is very Québec to me. A compliment that gives you that warm proud feeling, ça me fait un petit velours. France friends usually blink at it
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Patient Walrus
Jun 21
In shoes, veau velours and cuir velours are in the suede family, but it is not exactly nubuck. Nubuck is worked on the outer grain side, velours is the flesh side turned out.
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Quirky Whale
Jun 19
velours côtelé is corduroy. Québec also has corderoy for the pants, casual but normal.
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Placid Parrot
Jun 18
For English speakers, watch the fabric word. English velour usually means the plush stretchy stuff you get in tracksuits, cheap stage curtains, some upholstery, that whole 70s sofa feeling. French velours is wider and also just means velvet. So une robe en velours can be an elegant velvet dress, not necessarily the thing English speakers picture when they hear velour.
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Fond Stork
Jun 17
I still hear learners put a z in un velours épais. The s is silent there, singular nouns dont normally drag a liaison into the next adjective