foudre
lightning, thunderbolt
noun FOO-druh Less Common
Origin: Latin fulgur
Usage Note
Foudre is grammatically feminine in the meteorological sense (la foudre frappe). The phrase coup de foudre famously means 'love at first sight' as well as a literal lightning strike. Frappé par la foudre means struck by lightning.
Examples
"La foudre a frappé le vieux chêne."
Natural Translation
Lightning struck the old oak tree.
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