éclipse

eclipse

noun eh-KLEEPS Rare

Origin: Greek ekleipsis (abandonment)

Usage Note

Eclipse is used both literally for the astronomical event and figuratively for a sudden disappearance or period of obscurity, as in une eclipse de mémoire (a memory lapse). The verb éclipser means to overshadow someone; the reflexive s'éclipser means to slip away discreetly from a gathering.

Examples

"Nous avons observé l'éclipse solaire ensemble."

Natural Translation

We observed the solar eclipse together.

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