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bigorneau

periwinkle (sea snail)

noun bee-gor-NOH Rare
Food & Drink Meat

Usage Note

Bigorneau (plural bigorneaux) is the small edible sea snail sold at French seaside markets and brasseries, typically served with a pin to extract the meat. The '-eau/-eaux' plural pattern is irregular and worth noting; bigorneau is also used informally for 'telephone' in old-fashioned slang.

Examples

"On mange des bigorneaux au bord de mer."

Natural Translation

We eat periwinkles at the seaside.

Literal Translation

One eats periwinkles at the edge of sea.

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