corps-a-corps

Questions

What does corps-a-corps mean?

The action of two fencers coming into physical contact with one another with any portion of their bodies or hilts.

Where does corps-a-corps come from?

Unadapted borrowing from French corps-à-corps (literally “body to body”). Compare corps, corpse, corpus.

How to pronounce corps-a-corps

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “corps-a-corps”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “corps-a-corps”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “corps-a-corps” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.