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galeux

mangy, scabby

adjective gah-LUH Rare

Also means

disreputable, seedy (figurative)

Usage Note

Galeux comes from gale (mange or scabies) and its primary meaning is 'suffering from mange'. Figuratively it describes something or somewhere dirty and disreputable: un quartier galeux ('a seedy neighbourhood'). The expression la brebis galeuse ('the mangy sheep') means 'the black sheep of the family'. Feminine form: galeuse.

Examples

"Le chien errant semblait galeux et mal nourri."

Natural Translation

The stray dog looked mangy and malnourished.

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