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pieuvre

octopus

noun pyuh-VR Rare

Usage Note

Pieuvre is the common everyday word for octopus in French, distinct from the more technical poulpe used in culinary and scientific contexts. Victor Hugo popularised pieuvre in his novel Les Travailleurs de la mer (1866), and the word can also be used figuratively for a grasping, tentacular organisation. The plural is regular: pieuvres.

Examples

"La pieuvre change de couleur rapidement."

Natural Translation

The octopus changes colour quickly.

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