carambolage

French

Etymology

From carambole +‎ -age.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ka.ʁɑ̃.bɔ.laʒ/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

carambolage m (plural carambolages)

1. (billiards) a carom, a cannon
2. (by extension) pile-up (car accident involving 3 or more cars hitting each other successively)

   Les carambolages sont des accidents typiques d’une vitesse excessive et d’un trafic dense. On en voit surtout sur les autoroutes.

   Pile-ups are the product of excessive speed and high traffic density. They happen most often on highways.

Related terms

• carambole
• caramboler

Further reading

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