étau

French

Etymology

From Old Frankish *stok.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /e.to/

• Audio (Nancy, France)

  (file)

Noun

étau m (plural étaux)

1. vise, vice (instrument consisting of two jaws for holding work)
2. (figuratively) noose, net

   L’étau se resserre. ― The noose is tightening.

   • 2023 May, Constant Léon, “L'Arménie en quête de soutien”, in Le Monde diplomatique, page 12:

     L’étau se resserre autour du Haut-Karabakh, que Bakou entend ramener dans son giron.

     The net is tightening around Nagorno-Karabakh, which Baku intends to bring back into its fold.

Further reading

• “étau”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.