ouate

ouate

See also: ouaté

French

Pronunciation

• ^{(aspirated or mute h)} IPA^(key): /wat/

• audio (l'ouate)

  (file)

• Homophone: watt

Etymology 1

Uncertain. Often connected to Arabic بطانة‎ (“lining, inner part”), but this is phonologically difficult.[1] Also compare Arabic [script needed] (batt, “garment”), Hebrew [script needed] (bt, “woven dress”).[2]

Noun

ouate f (plural ouates)

1. cotton wool

   Synonym: coton hydrophile

   • 1986, “C'est la ouate”, in Loeb C.D., performed by Caroline Loeb:

     De toutes les matières
     C'est la ouate qu'elle préfère
     Passive, elle est pensive
     En négligé de soie
     C'est la ouate

     (please add an English translation of this quote)

Usage notes

This word may optionally resist elision, as though beginning with an aspirated h, even though it is not spelt with an h. The aspirated pronunciation is the older one; the non-aspirate pronunciation has become common.

Derived terms

• ouate de phoque
• ouaté
• ouater
• ouaterie
• ouateux

Descendants

• → Italian: ovatta
• → Spanish: bata, guata

References

1. “ouate”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
2. Watson, Wilfred: Terms for Textiles, Clothing, Hides, Wool and Accessories in Ugaritic:An Etymological Study

Verb

ouate

1. inflection of ouater:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

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