Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cuir bouilli

/kwɪɚ bu.ji/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.97 in modern English

Syllables: cuir bouil-li
IPA: /kwɪɚ bu.ji/

15

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Leather treated so as to become tough and rigid (and able to hold a moulded shape and decoration), used for artwork, carrying cases, and armor.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Cuir-bouilli was leather softened by boiling (generally in oil), and stamped or moulded into a definite form when in that condition; upon drying it became intensely hard and tough."

Etymology

In earlier uses, from Middle English quir-boili, cuirboille; in its modern form, borrowed from or respelling according to French cuir bouilli, from cuir (“leather”) + bouilli (“boiled”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: quir-boili, cuir bouilli

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /kwɪɚ bu.ji/
British English: /kwɪə bu.ji/

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

cuirboille (alternative) cuir-bouilli (alternative) cuir-bouilly (alternative) cuirbouly (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

cuirie cuirass

Questions

How do you pronounce cuir bouilli?: The recorded pronunciation is /kwɪɚ bu.ji/.
What does cuir bouilli mean?: Leather treated so as to become tough and rigid (and able to hold a moulded shape and decoration), used for artwork, carrying cases, and armor.
Where does cuir bouilli come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce cuir bouilli

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “cuir bouilli”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/kwɪɚ bu.ji/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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