charrette

English

Alternative forms

• charette, charret

Etymology

Borrowed from French charrette, from Middle French charrete, from Old French charrete, from char + -ete (“diminutive”), from Latin carrus. Sense “work to meet a deadline” from French, probably from architecture students loading their work into a cart (pulled by the youngest member) on the day of an exposition.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃəˈɹɛt/
• Rhymes: -ɛt

Noun

charrette (plural charrettes)

1. (US) A period of intense work, especially group work undertaken to meet a deadline.

Related terms

• chariot
• charret

Anagrams

• chatterer, retraceth

French

Etymology

From Middle French charrete, from Old French charrete; from char + -ete. Sense “work to meet a deadline” probably from architecture students loading their work into a cart (pulled by the youngest member) on the day of an exposition.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʃa.ʁɛt/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

charrette f (plural charrettes)

1. cart
2. urgent job, vital piece of work

Derived terms

• charrette à bras
• charrette anglaise
• charrette des condamnés

Descendants

• → Portuguese: charrete
• → Romanian: șaretă

Further reading

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

Middle French

Etymology

Old French charrete.

Noun

charrette f (plural charrettes)

1. cart (wheeled unpowered vehicle)

Descendants

• French: charrette

References

• charrette on Dictionnaire du Moyen Français (1330–1500) (in French)