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caniveau

gutter (roadside)

noun kah-nee-VOH Rare
Travel & Places Landmarks

Usage Note

Caniveau is the narrow channel running along the edge of a French street or road that carries rainwater toward a drain. The plural is caniveaux (the -eau ending follows the standard pattern). The related informal phrase tomber dans le caniveau figuratively means to hit rock bottom.

Examples

"L'eau de pluie coule dans le caniveau."

Natural Translation

Rainwater flows into the gutter.

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