noun

le éclair

lightning · lightning bolt

C'est un dessert allongé fait de pâte légère, rempli de crème et couvert de glaçage sucré.

Meteorological phenomenon: A sudden flash of light in the sky caused by a discharge of electricity between clouds or between a cloud and the ground (lightning).
Culinary item: An elongated pastry made of choux dough filled with cream (usually pastry cream or whipped cream) and topped with icing or glaze.
Figurative meaning: Something that happens with extreme speed, often used in expressions like "un coup d'éclair" (a sudden impulse) or "aussi rapide que l'éclair" (as fast as lightning).

Grammar: It is a masculine noun (un éclair).
Word origin: Derived from the Old French esclaire, which comes from the verb esclairer, meaning "to illuminate" or "to shine," itself rooted in the Latin exclarare (to make clear or bright).

Synonyms:
- For the meteorological meaning: foudre (though foudre refers more specifically to the strike or the power), rayon (in a poetic sense).
- For speed: rapidité, vitesse.
Antonyms:
- Obscurité (darkness), lenteur (slowness).