Finals - English Words with Foreign Origin - ENG 103

Chauffeur

French
driver

facade

French
front

fianc�

French
A man engaged to be married

fiance�

French
A woman engaged to be married

cello

Italian
A musical instrument like a violin but larger with a lower tone

faux pas

French
Breach or slip of good manners or conduct

buffet

French
Meal at which guest serve themselves from food on a table

epitome

Greek
A condensed account; a summary, a person or thing typical of something

vaudeville

French
A theatrical entertainment with a variety of acts such as songs, dances, pets, trained animals, etc.

radar

Instrument for determining direction, speech, distance of unseen objects by radio waves.

robot

Czech
A machine made in imitation of a human being

penicillin

An antibiotic to treat disease caused by certain bacteria

blitzkrieg

GErman
Warfare in which the offensive is extermely rapid, violent, and hard to resist

gauze

French
Thin cloth used for bandages

mustache

French
Hair on upper lip

avant garde

French
Group of people who are ahead of all others in the arts and other fields

corps

French
A military unit

canap�

French
Cracker or bread spread with meat, cheese, etc. served as appetizer

pince-nez

French
Eye glasses kept in a place by a spring clipped onto bridge of nose

chartreuse

French
Light, yellowish green color

in toto

Latin
Entirely, wholly

divorcee

French
A divorced woman

pot-pourri

French
Medley; mixture

lingerie

French
Woman's undergarments and nightgowns

trousseau

French
(pl. trousseaux) a bride's outfit of cloths, linen, etc.

protocol

Greek
Rules of etiquette of the diplomatic corps

idyll

Latin
A short poem or prose describing a scene or an event connected with country life

femme fatal

French
(pl. femme fatales) a seductress

chic

French
smart and stylish

ala mode

French
fashionable

debonair

French
sophisticated and bored

blaiz�

French
pleasant and gracious

esprit

French
lively wit; spirit

cul de sac

French
Passage with only one outlet; trap

vox populi

Latin
Voice of the people

ad lib

Latin
To speak without notes

bonafide

Latin
Genuine; without fraud

ad infinitum

Latin
Endlessly; to eternity

status quo

Latin
The existing state of affairs

vis a vis

French
face to face

lasagna

Italian
Baked dish with noodles, chopped meat, cheese, and tomato sauce

sine qua non

Latin
Something indispensable

persona non grata

Latin
An unacceptable person

per diem

Latin
By the day

alter ego

Latin
Other self, an exceptionally close friend

motif

French
Theme, dominant feature

soiree

French
Evening party

par excellence

French
Beyond comparison, above all others

poltergeist

German
Noisy ghost

rendezvous

French
Meeting by appointment at a fixed place or time

prima donna

Italian
Principal woman singer in an opera

portico

Latin
A porch or covered walk

couturier

French
A male designer of woman's fashion

nemesis

Greek
A just punishment; anything that seems to defeat or frustrate a person

ennui

French
Feeling of boredom and weariness

hoi polloi

Greek
The common people; the masses

colossus

Greek
A gigantic statue; anything huge or important

Chimera

Greek
A monster with lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail; an impossible fancy

chassis

French
the frame wheels of a motor vehicle, not the body nor the engine

millennium

Latin
A thousand years

ad interim

Meanwhile, temporary

billet doux

French
A love letter

coup d'etat

French
Sudden overthrow of a government

habeas corpus

Latin
A writ requiring that a prisoner will be brought before a court to decide the legality of this detention

laissez faire

French
Non-interference, absence of government control over industry and business

viva voce

Italian/Spanish
Orally

ex libris

Latin
From the book

carte blanche

French
Full authority

nom de plume

French
Pseudonym, a pen name

verbatim

Latin
Word for word

prima facie

Latin
At first glance; adequate to establish a fact

modus operandi

The manner of working

tour de force

French
Feat or skill, a clever creation and performance

coup de grace

French
A decisive finishing stroke

erratum

Latin
Error in writing or printing

Alma Mater

Latin
The school, college, or university that one once attended.

Bombay

Former name for Mumbai

Chopin

Polish
Pianist

Malay

people inhabiting Malaysa

Ave Maria

Latin
A prayer to the Virgin Mary used in Catholic worship

Saigon

...

Reagan

...

Caribbean

...

Marseilles

...

Poseidon

...

Polynesia

...

Robert Kock

...

Louis Pasteur

...

Quebec

...

Hebrew

Old French

Fascism

Latin

Nazism

German

Seoul

...

Iroquois

French
North American Indian people

Babylon

...

Goethe

German

Van Gogh

Dutch

Roosevelt

...

Xerxes

male name

Tchaikovsky

Russian

Worcester

Cathedral city of Western England

Wordsworth

...

Sino-Japanese

...

Genghis Khan

Ruler of Mongol empire

Guy de Maupassant

...