frette

The word "frette" in French primarily comes from Quebec French and has two common uses:

1. Cold (temperature):

• "Frette" is a colloquial or slang term meaning "cold," especially when referring to weather or something chilly. For example, "Il fait frette aujourd'hui" means "It’s cold today."
• Synonyms for this sense include:
  • Froid: The standard and formal word for "cold."
  • Frisquet: A bit formal and means "chilly" or "cool."
  • Glacial: More intense, meaning "freezing" or "icy."
  • Frigorifié: Related specifically to refrigeration or very cold conditions.

The key difference here is that "frette" is very informal and regionally specific (mostly Quebec), while "froid" is universal.

2. In other contexts (less common):

• In specific technical fields, "frette" can refer to a metal band or clamp such as the rings around the neck of wooden barrels or the metal strips on a guitar neck (called "frets" in English). This usage is standard in French.

In summary, as slang especially in Quebec, "frette" means "cold" in an informal way, while more formal or neutral synonyms like "froid" are used broadly in French.