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coquille

shell

noun koh-KEE Rare
Animals & Nature Sea Creatures

Also means

typo, misprint

Usage Note

Coquille covers both a natural shell (coquille Saint-Jacques is a scallop) and a printing/typing error — a meaning unique to French not shared by English 'shell'. In publishing, spotting les coquilles in a manuscript is part of copy-editing, making the word appear in both nature and media contexts.

Examples

"Elle a ramassé une belle coquille sur la plage."

Natural Translation

She picked up a beautiful shell on the beach.

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