Kilo Lingo

la

feminine

/bɔs/

Line drawing of bosse
Coloured illustration of bosse
#1478 of 5,000 Core 5000

Translation

bump, lump

Word origin

From Old French boce ('swelling, raised stud'), whose ultimate source is disputed. English 'boss' in the sense of a raised knob on a shield, and 'emboss', were both borrowed from that Old French word.

Origin
Old French
Root
boce
English cognates
boss, emboss

Other proposed origins

  • Most dictionaries trace boce to an unattested Vulgar Latin bottia ('swelling'). (bottia)
  • Other accounts prefer a Frankish source related to Germanic words for striking and swelling. (botan)

Grammar

Genderfeminine
Pluralbosses

Examples

' .

He banged his head and has a big lump on his forehead.

l'.

The road is full of bumps after the winter.

chameau , dromadaire .

The camel has two humps, the dromedary only one.

l' primaire.

My daughter has had a knack for maths since primary school.

, .

Mind the bump, the suitcase is going to fall.

Where this fits

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French · Free printables

bosse: worksheet, infographic and listicle

Free printable study downloads for the French word "bosse" (bump, lump): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.

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This word is part of lesson 30.