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rade

roadstead, harbour anchorage

noun RAHD Rare

Also means

(slang) bar, local café

Usage Note

Rade in nautical language is a sheltered stretch of water near a port where ships anchor — la rade de Brest is France's famous naval anchorage in Brittany. In Parisian argot, la rade or le rade (masculine in slang) means a local bar or café. Laisser en rade (to leave in the lurch) is a common idiomatic expression.

Examples

"Les navires attendaient dans la rade."

Natural Translation

The ships were waiting in the harbour anchorage.

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