bigre

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biɡʁ/

• Audio:

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• Audio (Canada):

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Etymology 1

From Middle French bigre, from Old French bigre, from Latin bigrus, bigarus, from Proto-West Germanic *bijakaʀjō (“beekeeper”), possibly via Old English bēocere (“beekeeper”).

Noun

bigre m (plural bigres)

1. (historical) a forest ranger who sought out swarms of bees in the forest, tended to them, and gathered their honey and wax

Etymology 2

Euphemstic alteration of bougre. Compare fichtre from foutre.

Interjection

bigre !

1. bugger!

Further reading

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