doux

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French doux. Doublet of dulce.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /duː/
• Rhymes: -uː
• Homophones: do, doo
• Homophones: dew, due (in accents with yod-dropping)

Adjective

doux (comparative more doux, superlative most doux)

1. (wine) Sweet.

Related terms

• billet-doux

Anagrams

• udox

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French dous, from Latin dulcem (“sweet”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /du/

• Audio (France, Paris)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -u
• Homophones: Doubs, doue, douent, doues
• Hyphenation: doux

Adjective

doux (feminine douce, masculine plural doux, feminine plural douces)

1. sweet
   • 1837 Louis Viardot, L’Ingénieux Hidalgo Don Quichotte de la Manche^{fr.Wikisource}, translation of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Chapter I:

     Ainsi emporté par de si douces pensées et par l’ineffable attrait qu’il y trouvait, il se hâta de mettre son désir en pratique.

     So taken away was he by such sweet thoughts and by the ineffable attraction that he found in them, he hurried to put his desire into practice.

2. soft
3. mild
4. gentle (gradual rather than steep)

   une pente douce ― a gentle slope

   Antonym: raide

5. fresh, not salty (of water)

Derived terms

• douceâtre
• doucement
• douceur
• doux comme un agneau
• doux Jésus
• doux rêveur
• drogue douce
• eau douce
• en douce
• esprit doux
• faire les yeux doux
• mettre la pédale douce
• patate douce
• se la couler douce
• vin doux

 

Related terms

• douçâtre
• doucereux
• doucette
• douceur

Adverb

doux

1. gently

   Synonym: doucement

Usage notes

Only used in a few expressions: tout doux, filer doux, rouler doux.

Further reading

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

Norman

Etymology

From Old French dous, from Latin dulcem, accusative of dulcis (“sweet”).

Adjective

doux m

1. (Jersey) mild, sweet

Derived terms

• chèrfi doux (“cicely”)
• douochement (“mildly, sweetly”)