bûcher

pyre, stake

noun boo-SHAY Rare

Origin: Old French 'busche' (log, firewood)

Also means

woodpile

Usage Note

Bûcher as a noun refers to a funeral pyre or the stake used in historical executions by fire — être condamné au bûcher means to be condemned to burn at the stake, famously linked to Joan of Arc. As a verb (same spelling), bûcher means to study hard or to chop wood, though the noun sense is more common in formal writing.

Examples

"Jeanne d'Arc a péri sur le bûcher."

Natural Translation

Joan of Arc perished at the stake.

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