cancre

dunce, poor student

noun KAHN-kruh Rare

Origin: Latin cancer (crab); students who did not advance were said to move sideways like crabs

Also means

crab (archaic)

Usage Note

Cancre is the classic French word for the lazy or slow student who always sits at the back of the class. Le cancre de la classe is a stock figure in French school culture, famously celebrated in Jacques Prévert's poem 'Le Cancre'. It is informal and gently mocking rather than seriously offensive.

Examples

"On le surnommait le cancre de la classe."

Natural Translation

He was nicknamed the class dunce.

Literal Translation

One him nicknamed the dunce of the class.

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