entonner

strike up (a song)

verb ahn-toh-NEH Rare

Origin: From ton (tone); the homonym meaning 'to pour into a barrel' comes instead from tonne (cask).

Also means

pour into a funnel

Usage Note

Entonner most commonly means to begin singing a song or chant, especially in a group setting: entonner un hymne ('to strike up a hymn'). Its secondary sense, to pour liquid through a funnel, is technical and rare in everyday speech. That barrel-related sense is the one connected to entonnoir ('funnel').

Examples

"Ils ont entonné leur chanson préférée."

Natural Translation

They struck up their favourite song.

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