vadrouille

See also: vadrouillé

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /va.dʁuj/

Etymology 1

17th century, at first in nautical parlance. Possibly an extension of regional drouilles (“old rags”), itself of unknown origin. The sense “walk, stroll” is a backformation from the denominal verb vadrouiller.

Noun

vadrouille f (plural vadrouilles)

1. (dated outside North America) mop (implement for washing floors)

   Synonyms: balai à franges, serpillière, (nautical) faubert

2. (informal) walk, wander, stroll

   Synonym: balade

   • 2016, Gaël Faye, Petit Pays [Small Country]:

     Dans le Combi Volkswagen, on décidait nos projets, nos escapades, nos grandes vadrouilles.

     In the Combi Volkswagen, we decided our projects, our escapes, our great walks.

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

vadrouille

1. inflection of vadrouiller:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

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