tailler

cut, trim

verb tah-YEH Less Common

Origin: Latin taliare (to cut)

Also means

carve, sharpen

Usage Note

Tailler is used for cutting or trimming plants (tailler une haie — 'to trim a hedge'), sharpening pencils (tailler un crayon), and carving stone or wood. Se tailler colloquially means 'to get out of here' or 'to leave quickly'. The noun taille (size, waist, cut) is closely related.

Examples

"Il taille les rosiers chaque printemps."

Natural Translation

He trims the rose bushes every spring.

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