fourchette

English

Etymology

From French fourchette.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /fɔːˈʃɛt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

fourchette (plural fourchettes)

1. (anatomy) A fork-shaped structure, specifically the fold of skin where the labia minora meet above the perineum (the frenulum labiorum pudendi).
2. A fork-shaped instrument or device, specifically the forked structure between two fingers of a glove.
3. (surgery) An instrument used to raise and support the tongue during the cutting of the frenulum.
4. The wishbone or furculum of birds
5. The frog of the hoof of the horse and allied animals.
6. (card games) The combination of the card immediately above and the one immediately below a given card.

French

Etymology

From fourche +‎ -ette.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fuʁ.ʃɛt/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

fourchette f (plural fourchettes)

1. fork (for eating)
2. diner, eater

   Hypernym: mangeur

   Mon oncle était une fourchette réputée.

   My uncle was a renowned diner.

3. wishbone
4. (statistics) range

   Les taux d’équipement par ménage dans la Communauté stagnent, dans une fourchette allant de 96 % en Espagne à 77 % en Suède.

   Equipment to household ratios in the Community are becoming stagnant, within a range from 96 % in Spain to 77 % in Sweden.

5. (chess) fork
6. band, bracket (as of taxes)
7. frog (part of a horse's hoof)

Derived terms

• fourchette à découper
• fourchette à fondue
• fourchette à gâteau
• fourchette à poisson
• fourchette à salade
• fourchette sternale
• fourchette vulvaire

 

Further reading

• “fourchette”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
• “fourchette” in Dictionnaire français en ligne Larousse.
• “fourchette” in Dico en ligne Le Robert.

Norman

Etymology

Borrowed from French fourchette.

Noun

fourchette f (plural fourchettes)

1. (Jersey) fork