casse-noix

French

Etymology

From casse (“breaks”, third-person singular present indicative of casser (“to break”)) +‎ noix (“nut”), literally “[that which] breaks nut”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kas.nwa/, /kɑs.nwa/

• Audio (Paris)

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Noun

casse-noix m (plural casse-noix)

1. nutcracker (tool)

   Synonym: casse-noisette (literally “hazelnut-cracker”)

2. Alternative spelling of cassenoix (“nutcracker (bird of the genus Nucifraga)”)

Further reading

• “casse-noix”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.