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sillage

wake

noun see-YAZH Rare
Travel & Places Transportation

Also means

trail, slipstream

Usage Note

Sillage primarily means the wake left by a ship on water, and by extension any trail left through a medium — the word is also used poetically for the lingering trail of a perfume. In perfumery, le sillage d'un parfum describes how far a scent projects from the wearer's skin, and it is a standard term in French fragrance reviews. The verb sillonner (to criss-cross) shares the same root.

Examples

"Le bateau laisse un long sillage sur la mer."

Natural Translation

The boat leaves a long wake on the sea.

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