rebours

French

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *rebursus, alteration of reburrus (“with bristing hair”) by analogy with reversus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʁə.buʁ/

Adjective

rebours (feminine rebourse, masculine plural rebours, feminine plural rebourses)

1. (archaic) churlish, disagreeable

Noun

rebours m (plural rebours)

1. (archaic except in set phrases) opposite, reverse

Derived terms

• à rebours

 

Further reading

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