détente

relaxation, leisure

noun deh-TAHNT Rare

Also means

trigger (of a firearm); geopolitical détente

Usage Note

détente has three distinct senses: the general idea of relaxation or unwinding (moments de détente), the trigger mechanism of a gun (appuyer sur la détente), and the political term borrowed into English for reduced tension between nations. English borrowed the political sense directly from French.

Examples

"Il cherche des moments de détente."

Natural Translation

He is looking for moments of relaxation.

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