Bougie

/ˈbuːʒi/ noun

Definition

A thin candle, especially a wax candle; in medicine, a thin probe or catheter passed into the body.

Etymology

From French 'bougie,' derived from Bougie, a city in Algeria famous for wax production. The city name became the word for the product exported from there—a classic example of a place name becoming a product name.

Kelly Says

Bougie candles from Bougie, Algeria were so luxurious and famous that the city's name became synonymous with the product worldwide—like how all adhesive bandages became 'Band-Aids!' The city literally branded itself into history.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.