mécanisme, n.m., mechanism, machinery; structure; mechanical parts.
mécène, n.m., Mæcenas (a protector of science, art, and literature).
méchamment (mé-sha-mān), adv., wickedly, spitefully, maliciously, ill-naturedly.
méchanceté (mé-shans-té), n.f., wickedness, spitefulness, mischievousness; crossness, naughtiness, ill-nature; ill-natured thing, ill-natured remark, reflection, slander.
méchant, -e, adj., bad, wretched, worthless; wicked, dishonest; sorry, paltry; wicked, ill-natured, mischievous, malicious; wayward, naughty, unkind; (of a horse) vicious. — homme; wicked man. Il a la mine —e; he has an ill-natured look. Un — poète; a sorry, wretched poet.
méchant, n.m., -e, n.f., wicked person; evil doer, reprobate; naughty child. Faire le —; to be fractious (of a child).
mèche, n.f., wick (of a lamp or candle); tinder; match; screw, bit, auger; worm (of cork-screws, wimbles); (surg.) tent; center-bit; whip-lash, lock (of hair). — anglaise; center-bit. Découvrir, éventer, la —; (milit.) to discover the enemy’s match by means of a countermine; to find out the secret of a plot. — de cheveux; lock of hair. Il n’y a pas —; it’s no go; it can’t be done. S’il y a —; if it can be managed.
☉méchef, n.m., mischief, mischance; harm.
mécher, v.a., to fumigate with brimstone, to sulphur.
mécompte (mé-kont), n.m., miscalculation; mistake, error; disappointment, drawback. Il a trouvé bien du —; he has experienced great disappointment.