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gâchette

trigger (of a gun)

noun gah-SHET Rare
People & Society Military

Usage Note

gâchette technically refers to the small sear inside a lock mechanism, but in everyday French it is used to mean the trigger a shooter pulls. The phrase avoir la gâchette facile ('to have a quick trigger finger') describes a person who is too quick to shoot or, figuratively, too impulsive.

Examples

"Il posa le doigt sur la gâchette."

Natural Translation

He placed his finger on the trigger.

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