airain

airain

French

Etymology

From Old French arain, araim, aeren, from Vulgar Latin *arame(n) < *eramen, from Late Latin aerāmen, from Latin aes, from Proto-Italic *aos, early *ajos, from Proto-Indo-European *áyos, h₂éyos.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ.ʁɛ̃/, /e.ʁɛ̃/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛ̃

Noun

airain m (plural airains)

1. (literary, uncountable) any alloy based on bronze
2. (literary, countable) object made of this alloy
3. (figuratively, uncountable) iron, unbreakable
   1. une loi d'airain ― an iron law.

Further reading

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