marraine

godmother

noun mah-REN Rare

Usage Note

Marraine is the female counterpart of parrain ('godfather'). Beyond religious sponsorship at baptism, the word extends to a patron or sponsor of an event or institution — la marraine d'un navire is the woman who names a ship at its launch. The phrase fée marraine refers to the fairy godmother of folklore.

Examples

"Sa marraine lui a offert un beau cadeau."

Natural Translation

Her godmother gave her a beautiful gift.

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