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jeep

jeep

noun DJEEP Rare

Origin: English 'jeep', from 'GP' (general purpose vehicle)

Usage Note

Jeep entered French as a borrowing during World War II when American jeeps flooded Europe. It is feminine in French: une jeep. Today it is used generically for any small off-road 4×4, much as 'hoover' became generic for vacuum cleaners. The brand name Jeep and the common noun overlap in everyday usage.

Examples

"Ils ont traversé le désert en jeep."

Natural Translation

They crossed the desert in a jeep.

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