radeau

raft

noun rah-DOH Rare

Origin: from Old French 'radel', from a Germanic root related to 'reed'

Usage Note

Radeau forms its plural as radeaux (the -eau → -eaux pattern). It refers to a flat floating platform made of logs or other materials, used for transport or survival at sea. Le Radeau de la Méduse is Géricault's famous 1819 painting depicting shipwreck survivors, making the word culturally resonant in French.

Examples

"Ils ont construit un radeau pour traverser le fleuve."

Natural Translation

They built a raft to cross the river.

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