Guerre

/ɡɛr/ noun

Definition

A French word meaning 'war' or 'warfare,' used in English mainly in historical or literary contexts.

Etymology

From Old French 'guerre,' derived from Frankish 'werra' meaning 'confusion' or 'strife.' The word entered English during the Norman Conquest period and appears in famous phrases like 'guerre de course' (privateering) and military terminology.

Kelly Says

Even though we speak English, we borrowed the French word 'guerre' so much during the Middle Ages that it's baked into English military language—words like 'warrior' and 'warring' are basically English cousins of this French word!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

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