France (fr ns) A country of western Europe on the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel. It was settled by the Franks after the retreat of the Romans, who had conquered Celtic Gaul in 58-51 b.c. Charlemagne made it the center of his Empire of the West after a.d. 800. In the Middle Ages France was split into numerous fiefdoms and kingdoms, most of which were incorporated into the royal domain by the time of Louis XI (reigned 1461-1483). Widespread poverty and discontent led to the French Revolution (1789) and the end of the monarchy. The First Republic (1792-1804) was followed by the First Empire (1804-1815) under Napoleon Bonaparte, a period of constitutional monarchy (1814-1848), and a succession of republics broken by the Second Empire (1852-1870) under Louis Napoleon. Much of France was occupied by Germany in World War II. Paris is the capital and the largest city. Population: 60,100,000. | France |
Francea fondness or prejudice for French life, manners, etc. an obsession with France and things French. Gallophil. a hatred of France or things French. Also called Gallophobia. a French expression used in English, as outré. a person, not French, who loves France. Also called Francophile. Francophobia. a form of mild republicanism in France, 1791-1793, led by natives of the Gironde. — Girondist, n., adj. the traits, customs, and culture of the Normans. — Normanist, n. — Normanic, adj.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Noun | 1. | France - a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europeapache dance - a violent fast dance in French vaudeville (an apache is a member of the French underworld) Agincourt - a battle in northern France in which English longbowmen under Henry V decisively defeated a much larger French army in 1415 battle of Crecy, Crecy - the first decisive battle of the Hundred Years' War; in 1346 the English under Edward III defeated the French under Philip of Valois Dunkerque, Dunkirk - an amphibious evacuation in World War II (1940) when 330,000 Allied troops had to be evacuated from the beaches in northern France in a desperate retreat under enemy fire battle of Valmy, Valmy - the French defeated the Austrian and Prussian troops in 1792 (with a famous cannonade from the French artillery) battle of Verdun, Verdun - a battle in World War I (1916); in some of the bloodiest fighting in World War I the German offensive was stopped Bastille - a fortress built in Paris in the 14th century and used as a prison in the 17th and 18th centuries; it was destroyed July 14, 1789 at the start of the French Revolution Maginot Line - a fortification built before World War II to protect France's eastern border; initially considered to be impregnable, it was easily overrun by the German army in 1940 oriflamme - a red or orange-red flag used as a standard by early French kings rue - (French) a street or road in France tricolor, tricolour - a flag having three colored stripes (especially the French flag) French - the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France bonheur - (French) happiness and good humor haute cuisine - (French) an elaborate and skillful manner of preparing food nouvelle cuisine - a school of French cooking that uses light sauces and tries to bring out the natural flavors of foods instead of making heavy use of butter and cream bureau de change - (French) an establishment where you can exchange foreign money FLNC, National Liberation Front of Corsica - a terrorist group formed in 1976 to work for Corsican independence; attacks on Corsica are aimed at sabotaging public infrastructure and symbols of colonialism | | 2. | France - French writer of sophisticated novels and short stories (1844-1924) |
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