Skip to content

cire

wax

noun SEER Rare
Home & Lifestyle Cleaning

Origin: Latin 'cera'

Also means

polish

Usage Note

Cire most often refers to beeswax or candle wax, but in everyday speech it also covers shoe polish or floor polish. The verb cirer means to wax or polish, and ciré (adjective/noun) describes a waxed-cotton fabric used in rain gear. The idiom cirer les pompes means to flatter someone shamelessly.

Examples

"Elle applique la cire sur le parquet."

Natural Translation

She applies wax to the parquet floor.

Explore French by topic