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haillon

rag, tatter

noun ah-YOHN Rare

Usage Note

Haillon almost always appears in the plural haillons to describe a collection of rags or tattered clothing worn by someone very poor. The H is aspirate, so no elision or liaison: les haillons (lay-ah-YOHN). It is literary in register and rarely used in everyday speech.

Examples

"Le mendiant était vêtu de haillons."

Natural Translation

The beggar was dressed in rags.

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