aiguillon

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French aguillon, aguillun, awillon, from Early Medieval Latin acūleōnem, derived from Latin aculeus. Influenced in its shape by aiguille (“needle”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ.ɡɥi.jɔ̃/, /e.ɡɥi.jɔ̃/

• Audio

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Noun

aiguillon m (plural aiguillons)

1. goad
2. stinger, sting (of a bee)
3. (figuratively) a goad, a stimulant

Related terms

• aigu
• aiguille

Further reading

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