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chauve-souris

bat

noun shohv-soo-REE Rare

Usage Note

Chauve-souris literally means 'bald mouse' — chauve ('bald') + souris ('mouse'). It is a compound noun with a fixed hyphen and always feminine. The plural is chauves-souris. Bats play a role in French folklore as nocturnal, somewhat sinister creatures, and the word appears in idioms about being 'blind as a bat' (myope comme une taupe is the actual French idiom, though).

Examples

"Une chauve-souris vole la nuit."

Natural Translation

A bat flies at night.

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