arrière-train

French

Etymology

From arrière- +‎ train.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a.ʁjɛʁ.tʁɛ̃/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

arrière-train m (plural arrière-trains)

1. the rear of a train, or 4x4 vehicle
2. hindquarters (of an animal)
   • 2016, Gaël Faye, Petit Pays [Small Country]:

     Le chien […] n’avait pas de queue, alors il remuait l’arrière-train pour signifier qu’il était content.

     The dog […] didn't have a tail, so it wagged its hindquarters to show it was happy.

3. caboose, posterior, hindquarters (buttocks of a human)

Further reading

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