postillon
See also: Postillon
French edit
Etymology edit
From Italian postiglione.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
postillon m (plural postillons)
- (historical) postman (courier who rides post)
- postilion
- (historical) a French-style hat worn by the postal workers
- (colloquial) drop of spittle, drop of saliva
- 2014, Édouard Louis, En finir avec Eddy Bellegueule [The End of Eddy], Le Seuil:
- Et leur haleine avinée quand ils me parlaient et couvraient mon visage de postillons, comme peuvent le faire des hommes ivres, des hommes qui, chaque fois, sans presque jamais déroger à la règle, finissaient par exprimer leur haine des homosexuels.
- And the smell of drink on their breath when they spoke to me and covered my face in spittle, as drunk men often do; men who, every time, almost without fail, end up expressing their hatred of homosexuals.
Derived terms edit
Further reading edit
- “postillon”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Middle French edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from Italian postiglione.
Noun edit
postillon m (plural postillons)
- postilion (horse driver)
- 1560, Clement Marot, Œuvres de Clement Marot
- Là vint un postillion
Qui m'aportoit guillon- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
- 1560, Clement Marot, Œuvres de Clement Marot