cirage

shoe polish

noun see-RAHZH Rare

Usage Note

Cirage literally refers to the waxy paste or liquid used to polish leather shoes, derived from cire (wax). The colloquial expression être dans le cirage means 'to be in a daze' or 'to be out of it' — a handy idiom that often surprises learners. A related word is cirer (to wax or polish) and cireur (a shoeshine person).

Examples

"Il applique du cirage noir sur ses chaussures."

Natural Translation

He applies black shoe polish to his shoes.

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