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fronde

sling, catapult

noun FROHND Rare

Origin: Old French 'fonde', from Latin 'funda' (sling)

Also means

political revolt, rebellion

Usage Note

Fronde originally meant a sling used to hurl stones. Historically it names the 17th-century civil wars against Cardinal Mazarin (la Fronde, 1648–53), so the word now carries a sense of popular rebellion against authority. Frondes are still used as slingshots today.

Examples

"Les rebelles utilisaient des frondes pour lancer des pierres."

Natural Translation

The rebels used slings to throw stones.

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