diable
French → English
(exclamatory particle) Used after an interrogative word to express surprise, worry, or annoyance; equivalent to 'the devil' or 'on earth'.
Où diable ai-je vu cette tête-là ?
(English) Where on earth have I seen that face?
Pourquoi diable les tondeuses à gazon ?
(English) Why the devil lawnmowers?
(figurative, person) A very wicked, violent, or excessively turbulent and noisy person.
Avec son air de douceur, cette femme est un vrai diable.
(English) Despite her gentle appearance, that woman is a real devil.
C’est un petit diable que cet enfant-là.
(English) That child is a little devil.
(informal, man) A fellow, a guy (often in 'pauvre diable' - poor devil).
C’était un grand diable de vingt-deux ans.
(English) He was a tall fellow of twenty-two.
Je suis bon diable, malgré mes airs d’ours.
(English) I'm a good guy, despite my bear-like demeanor.
(tool) A hand truck or sack barrow with two wheels and two arms for moving heavy objects.
Il fendit les Halles, les cageots et les diables.
(English) He cut through Les Halles, the crates and the hand trucks.
Le déménageur pousse un diable chargé de cartons.
(English) The mover pushes a hand truck loaded with boxes.
(historical, cooking) An earthenware pot for cooking without water inside a fire.
On faisait grâler les marrons dans un diable.
(English) They used to roast chestnuts in a diable.
Le diable en terre cuite servait à cuire les pommes de terre.
(English) The earthenware diable was used to cook potatoes.
Entry ID: fr:en:diable · Source: refined · Type: vocabulary