double entendre
Preserved but no longer current.
An incorrect English version of the French double entente, a word which secretly expresses a rude or coarse covert meaning, generally of an indelicate character. Entendre is the infinitive mood of the French verb, and is never used as a noun.
Là một từ tiếng Pháp mô tả một cụm từ có ý nghĩa thầm kín, thường là không đứng đắn.
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “double entendre” mean?
An incorrect English version of the French double entente, a word which secretly expresses a rude or coarse covert meaning, generally of an indelicate character. Entendre is the infinitive mood of the French verb, and is never used as a noun.
Is “double entendre” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.