ain, n.m., woollen thread; the number of threads contained in a given space.
aine, n.f., groin; herring-stick.
aîné, n.m., -e, n.f., elder, senior.
aîné, -e, adj., eldest, elder, the eldest son or daughter; senior.
aînesse, n.f., primogeniture. Droit d’—; birthright.
ainsi, adv., thus, so, in this, that, manner. Je suis — fait; that’s my temper. Le monde est —; such is the world. — du reste; and so forth. Il en est — des autres passions; thus it is with the other passions. — soit-il; amen, so be it. — va le monde; so the world goes. S’il en est —; if such is the case.
ainsi, conj., thus, therefore, so that. — que, tout — que; as, as well as, even as, in the same way as. Cela s’est passé — que je vous l’ai dit; that happened in the way I told you.
air, n.m., air, wind; look, appearance, countenance, deportment; aspect; (mus.) tune; (chem., man., paint., sculp.) air. — abattu; downcast look. — chagrin; sorrowful look. — éveillé; sharp look. — farouche; forbidding look. Faire des châteaux en l’—; to build castles in the air. Un coup d’—; a cold chill. Prendre l’—; to take the air. Donner de l’— à une chambre; to let the air into, to ventilate, a room. Chasser l’— renfermé; to let out the confined air. En plein —; in the open air. Se tenir entre deux —s; to be in a draught. Il ne fait point d’—; there is not the least breath of wind. Être en l’—; to be in a flutter. Paroles en l’—; empty, idle, words. Parler en l’—; to talk wildly. Il forme des desseins en l’—; he forms extravagant designs. Il a tiré son coup en l’—; he has miscarried. Prendre l’— du bureau; to go and see how matters stand. Faire prendre l’—; to give an airing to. Les gens du bel —; gentle folks, fashionable people. Un homme de méchant —; an ill-looking man. Un homme du grand —; a man of rank, of quality. Avoir l’— de; to look like. Avoir l’— bien portant; to look well. Lancer en l’—; to toss (of horned cattle). Avoir l’— bon, l’— mauvais; to look good-natured, ill-natured. Prendre un — riant; to put on a smiling countenance. Prendre un — de feu; to warm one’s self. Rempli d’— vicié; filled with foul air. Cela a l’— grand; that looks grand. Elle n’a pas l’— spirituel; she doesn’t look sprightly. Elle a l’— bien étourdi; she looks very giddy. Il n’a pas l’— content; he doesn’t seem pleased. Prendre des —s, se donner des —s; to give one’s self airs. Prendre des —s de bel esprit; to set up for a wit. Un — de famille; a family likeness. Air de tête (paint.); the attitude of the head. Un — gai, triste; a lively, dull, tune. Faire un — sur des paroles; to set words to music. Jouer un — rapide; to play a flourish. Ce cheval va à tout —; this horse has all his paces.
airain, n.m., brass. L’âge d’—; the brazen age. Avoir un front d’—; to have a brazen face, to blush at nothing. Avoir des entrailles d’—; to have a heart of stone.
aire, n.f., area, barn-floor, threshing-floor; aerie (of a bird of prey); (of ships) impetus, headway. L’— d’un bâtiment; (arch.) the area of a building. — de plancher; superficies of a floor. L’— d’un triangle; (geom.) the area or inside of a triangle. Une — de vent; (nav.) a point of the compass.