hermétique

airtight, hermetic

adjective ehr-meh-TEEK Rare

Origin: from Hermes Trismegistus, alchemical tradition of sealed vessels

Also means

impenetrable, inscrutable

Usage Note

Hermétique literally describes a seal that lets no air or liquid through, as in un couvercle hermétique. Figuratively it describes writing, art, or a person that is difficult to understand or emotionally closed off: un auteur hermétique. The adverb hermétiquement (hermetically) appears in hermétiquement fermé, meaning firmly shut.

Examples

"Le bocal est hermétique, rien ne s'échappe."

Natural Translation

The jar is airtight; nothing escapes.

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