passoire

colander

noun pah-SWAHR Rare

Origin: From 'passer' (to pass, strain) + suffix '-oire'.

Also means

strainer

Usage Note

Passoire refers to a kitchen strainer or colander used to drain pasta, wash vegetables, or strain liquids. By extension, avoir une mémoire de passoire (to have a memory like a sieve) is a very common French idiom for forgetfulness. The word is always feminine.

Examples

"Elle égoutte les pâtes dans la passoire."

Natural Translation

She drains the pasta in the colander.

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