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tâter

to feel

verb tah-TEH Rare

Origin: Old French taster, from Vulgar Latin taxitare (to touch repeatedly)

Also means

to test the ground

Usage Note

Tâter literally means to feel or probe with the fingers, but the key idiom is tâter le terrain — 'to test the waters' before committing to a course of action. It is a regular -er verb. Compare toucher (to touch) which is more neutral.

Examples

"Il tâta le tissu pour juger sa qualité."

Natural Translation

He felt the fabric to judge its quality.

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