panse

belly, paunch

noun PAHNS Rare

Also means

rumen (of an animal)

Usage Note

Panse is informal to slightly vulgar for a large belly; the neutral word is ventre. In veterinary or agricultural contexts it refers specifically to the first stomach compartment of ruminants. The verb panser (to dress a wound, to groom a horse) is a homophone of penser (to think).

Examples

"Il s'est rempli la panse au repas."

Natural Translation

He stuffed his belly at the meal.

Literal Translation

He filled himself the paunch at the meal.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

French Numbers 1 to 100: Count With Confidence

French numbers 1 to 100 in one complete chart, with pronunciation, the et-un rule, hyphens, and the four-twenties system explained so you can count anywhere.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

French Object Pronouns: le, la, lui, leur Order

Le lui or lui le? Use the à-name test to pick le/la vs lui/leur, then one slot chart to order two French object pronouns — plus the command exception.

June 4, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Tu vs Vous: When to Use Each in French

Tu vs vous in French: use tu for one friend, family, or child, and vous for strangers, elders, your boss, and any group. A clear etiquette guide.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Avoir or Être? Picking the Right Past-Tense Helper

Use avoir for the passé composé unless the verb is reflexive or one of ~16 DR MRS VANDERTRAMP motion verbs, which take être and force agreement.

June 4, 2026 5 min read