nounnoun

manchot

penguin

The word manchot has two primary meanings in French:

Animal (Penguin): It refers to any of the flightless seabirds of the family Spheniscidae, primarily found in the Southern Hemisphere and Antarctica. In French, a common mistake is using the word pingouin to describe these animals, but scientifically, a "pingouin" is an auk (a bird that lives in the Northern Hemisphere and can fly).
Physical condition: It describes a person who is missing an arm or a hand, either from birth or due to amputation.
Metaphorical sense: It can be used colloquially to describe someone who is clumsy or lacks dexterity. For example, the phrase "ne pas être manchot" means to be quite skillful or efficient at a task.

Grammar: The word is used as both a noun and an adjective. The masculine form is manchot and the feminine form is manchote.
Origin: The term comes from the Latin word mancus, meaning "maimed," "infirm," or "defective." It was applied to the bird because its short, stiff wings resemble the stumps of limbs that cannot be used for flight.

Synonyms (Physical state): estropié (maimed), handicapé (handicapped), amputé (amputated).
Synonyms (Figurative): maladroit (clumsy), potelé (awkward).
Antonyms: adroit (skillful), habile (dexterous), agile (agile).

Make “manchot” part of your vocabulary.

Build your French vocabulary with flashcards, audio and spaced repetition.

Le bébé manchot dort sur la glace.noun

The baby penguin is sleeping on the ice.

Add words from websites, books and videos, then remember them with spaced repetition (SRS).