cartouche

cartridge

noun kar-TOOSH Rare

Origin: Italian cartoccio, 'paper roll'

Also means

cartouche (ornamental frame)

Usage Note

Cartouche is feminine when it means an ammunition or ink cartridge (une cartouche d'imprimante — 'a printer cartridge'). In architecture and Egyptian hieroglyphics it refers to an oval decorative frame, where it is also feminine. The gender is consistently feminine across both senses.

Examples

"La cartouche de l'imprimante est vide."

Natural Translation

The printer cartridge is empty.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Le, La, Un, Du: French Articles Made Simple

Le, la, un, du, des made simple: pick the French article family by meaning, the form by gender, and dodge the two mistakes English speakers always make.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Noun Gender: Rules to Guess Right 80%

Guess French noun gender right 80% of the time using word endings: -age, -ment, -eau are masculine; -tion, -té, -ette are feminine. A high-yield system.

June 3, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Sorry in French: Désolé vs Pardon vs Excusez-moi

Use désolé for genuine regret, pardon to bump or squeeze past, and excusez-moi to get attention. A situation-by-situation guide to saying sorry in French.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

How to Pronounce the French R (Step by Step)

The French R is a back-of-the-throat sound, not a rolled R. Learn the exact tongue position and a step-by-step drill to build it from sounds you already make.

June 4, 2026 6 min read